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AZALIM 

A  Romance  of  Old  Judea 


Works  of 

MARK  ASHTON 


SHE  STANDS  ALONE 

The  Story  of  Pilate's  Wife 

J* 
AZALIM 

A  Romance  of  Old  Jodea 


L.  C  PAGE  &  COMPANY 

New  England  Building,  Boston,  Mass. 


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A   R.onieLnce    of   Old   Jvidect 
By      MARK     ASHTON 

Author    of    ''SHE    STANDS    ALONE."    etc. 


»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» 


Illustrated 


BOSTON'     Lo     C.     PAGE 
^    COMPANY'  PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,  igo4 
By  L.  C.  Page  &  Company 

(incorporatbd) 
All  rights  reservtd 


Published  April,   1904 
Fourth  Impression,  April,  1907 


ColonisI  9nM 

Electrotyped  and  Printed  by  C.  H.  Slmonds  &  Co. 

Boston,  Mass..  U.  S.  A. 


TO 

THE  READERS 

WHO   SO   KINDLY    RECEIVED 

"SHE  STANDS  ALONE,"    MY   STORY   OF   PILATE'S  WIFE 

I  DEDICATE  THIS   BOOK 


2134076 


y^^^^4**^*^^^^4*^*^*# 


preface 


CHERE  appears  to  be  a  tendency  in  mod- 
ern Christianity  to  neglect,  if  not  to 
ignore,  the  books  of  the  Old  Testament. 
Yet  when  our  Lord  said,  "  Search  the  Scrip- 
tures, for  they  are  they  which  testify  of  me," 
there  were  none  others  extant  beside  these, 
and  it  cannot  therefore  be  right  to  under- 
value them.  With  this  fact  before  me,  a 
strong  desire  came  to  write  a  book  that  might 
at  once  excite  and  revive  an  interest  in  the 
events  and  characters  of  old  Biblical  history. 

M.  A. 


s 


Contents 


CMAFTBR  FAGB 

I.  Jezebel i 

II.  AzALiM .15 

III.  Elijah 40 

IV.  The  House  of  Rimmon       ....  52 
V.  Flight 68 

VI.  Pursued 85 

VII.  Jerusalem 102 

VIII.  ZiLLAH 118 

IX.  Food  for  the   Leper!    Food!    .        .        .129 

X.  Baalbec 143 

XI.  Moloch 155 

XII.  Samech 164 

XIII.  Naia  Haje 179 

XIV.  Apostasy 195 

XV.  Given  in  Marriage 211 

XVI.  Revelations 222 

XVII.  The  Creche 233 

XVIII.  A  Balcony   Scene        .        .        .        .        .  248 

XIX.  The  Unexpected 257 

XX.  Vacillation  .         .        .  •      .        .        •        .  270 

XXI.  Room  for  the  Lepers        ....  279 

XXII.  The  Message 290 

XXIII.  AsTARTfi 302 

XXIV.  The  Warning 310 

XXV.  Ramoth  -  Gilead  .        .        .        ,        ,        .  319 

XXVI.  An  Uncommuted  Sentence        .        .        .  327 


AZALIM 

A  Romance  of  Old  Judea 


CHAPTER  I. 

JEZEBEL 

Jerusalem  the  golden  claims  the  first  rank 
among  the  cities  of  the  world.  Rome  the  eternal 
occupies  the  second,  and  to  which  one  can  we  more 
fitly  accord  the  third  than  to  Damascus  the  beautiful, 
which,  cradled  in  the  Lebanon,  and  set  like  a  fair 
gem  in  the  lovely  plain  watered  by  Abana  and 
Pharpar,  lays  claim  to  be  the  only  city  in  history 
which  is  at  once  both  ancient  and  modem,  for, 
whilst  her  origin  is  lost  in  the  mists  of  the  earliest 
ages,  she  remains  prosperous  and  populous  in  this, 
our  twentieth  century. 

Babylon,  Nineveh,  Troy,  may  possibly  rival  her  in 
antiquity.    But  Babylon  is  the  habitation  of  dragons, 


9      Hsalim :  H  'Romance  ot  ®l^  5ut)ea 

and  a  court  for  owls;  Nineveh  a  mere  quarry  for 
the  museums  of  the  West ;  whilst  Troy,  were  it  not 
for  the  song  of  the  poet,  would  be  only  a  shadowy 
myth.  All  these  once  famous  cities  have  passed 
away;  whilst  Damascus  —  flourishing  when  Zion 
was  a  solitary  hill,  and  Rome  a  swamp  of  the  Tiber 
—  prominent  in  the  old  and  new  records  of  the 
imperishable  Book  —  respected  and  spared  by  her 
powerful  neighbours,  the  great  empires  —  celebrated 
for  arts  and  manufactures  —  rich  in  Eastern  story 
and  romance  —  honoured  by  the  Crusader  — 
cherished  by  the  Moslem  —  holds  her  own  to  the 
present  day. 

It  is  at  this  charmed  city  of  Damascus,  three 
thousand  years  ago,  that  the  following  history 
opens. 

The  dawn  was  at  hand,  and  all  the  inhabitants 
of  the  city  were  astir  to  hail  the  reappearance  of 
the  great  sun-god,  whom,  under  the  name  of  Baal, 
all  Syria  and  a  large  portion  of  Asia  worshipped. 
Not  one  living  soul  remained  under  a  roof.  The 
men  filled  the  streets.  The  women  and  children 
crowded  the  house-tops,  or  stood  outside  their  lat- 
tices. The  sick  lay  on  their  beds  at  the  open  doors. 
Every  face  was  turned  to  the  brightening  sky,  every 
heart  beat  with  expectancy. 

The  heavens  flamed  with  amber,  purples,  and 


5e3ebel  3 

crimsons,  in  vivid  colouring  and  wondrous  com- 
binations, —  the  banners  of  the  mighty  monarch's 
imperial  approach.  Suddenly,  the  first  disc  of  the 
great  orb  uprose  from  the  horizon,  and  a  simul- 
taneous shout  from  the  assembled  multitude  wel- 
comed the  advent.  "  All  hail  to  thee,  great  Baal, 
thou  Lord  of  life  and  light!  Hail!  Hail!  All  hail 
our  King  and  our  God!    Hail!    Hail!    All  hail!" 

Then  every  man  fell  prostrate  with  his  forehead 
touching  the  ground;  the  women  and  children 
dropped  upon  their  knees;  the  sick  covered  their 
faces  with  their  hands,  and  thus  they  all  remained 
until  the  blazing  luminary  had  cleared  the  horizon, 
when  all  rose  to  their  feet,  and  repeated  their  aves 
as  their  sun-god  began  to  climb  to  his  throne  in 
the  mid-heavens. 

It  was  grand  —  this  universal  homage  to  the 
god  whom  the  worshippers  styled  the  lord  of  light 
and  life !  True,  it  was  idolatry.  The  natural  relig- 
ion of  man  is  idolatry,  —  it  runs  in  his  blood,  his 
mind  of  itself  can  conceive,  his  soul  desires,  no  other, 
—  but  in  this  case  it  was  purged  from  the  degrada- 
tion of  image-worship  and  freed  from  the  iniquities 
of  the  temple  and  the  abominations  of  the  groves. 
It  was  an  ovation  so  pure  and  simple  that,  had  it 
always  been  thus  offered,  the  great  Creator  of  their 
sun-god  might  possibly  have  pardoned  its  ignorance. 


4       H3alim :  H  IRomance  of  ®lt>  5u0ea 

and  revealed  to  the  worshippers  a  more  excellent 
way. 

On  the  flat  roof  of  a  house  close  to  the  western 
gate  of  the  city,  a  woman  was  reclining  on  a  couch 
under  a  white  awning  lined  with  rose  colour  of 
the  softest  hue  of  Tyrian  dyes.  She  had  been  very 
demonstrative  in  her  devotions,  assisting  them  with 
repeated  kisses  and  abjurations  to  a  little  image  of 
Baal  she  held  in  her  hand,  and  to  which,  with  the 
not  uncommon  fondness  of  feminine  nature  for 
religious  toys,  she  principally  addressed  her  prayers. 
It  was  an  ugly  idol  of  a  species  of  green  onyx  or 
jade,  with  a  broad  flat  face  around  which  spikes 
represented  the  sun's  rays,  and  with  the  body  of 
a  lioness  couchant. 

She  possessed  a  striking  personality,  this  woman. 
Young  she  was,  so  young  that  hers  would  have  been 
the  age  of  a  schoolgirl  in  the  chilly  West,  but  the 
unripe  term  of  girl  does  not  suit  Eastern  women, 
and  still  less  would  it  have  defined  this  one,  so 
perfectly  matured  and  grandly  developed. 

Massive  in  form  and  face,  with  the  imperious 
gait  and  movement  of  an  empress,  and  the  royal 
contours  and  turn  of  head  and  neck  of  a  queen, 
with  well-cut,  regular  features  and  hair  of  the  finest 
texture,  and  of  such  abundance  that  when  it  fell 
around  her  it  clothed  her  like  a  garment,  she  might 


have  been  the  original  of  one  of  those  busts  or 
medallions  of  the  wives  who  shared  the  throne  of 
the  Caesars,  which  have  come  down  to  us,  and,  in 
truth,  she  might  have  been  Caesar  himself,  for  in 
that  broad  —  and,  in  repose,  somewhat  sullen  — 
brow  and  the  firm  square  jaw,  the  brains  and  force 
of  will  of  a  man  were  added  to  the  superb  magnifi- 
cence of  her  physique. 

Yet,  if  it  were  possible  to  find  an  eye  sufficiently 
unglamoured  by  her  beauty,  and  keen  enough  to 
mark  defects,  it  would  have  found  something  sinister 
in  that  face,  at  once  so  unique  and  so  perfect.  To 
begin  with,  the  eyes  which  looked  so  seductively 
large  and  languishing  owed  their  size  and  liquid 
lustre  to  the  dark  colouring  so  dexterously  applied 
to  lids  and  lashes.  Naturally  they  were  small  and 
not  especially  bright.  In  truth,  they  were  of  the 
Chinese  almond-oval  type,  and,  when  in  repose,  wore 
a  snaky  gleam,  as  if  their  owner  were  coiled  appar- 
ently asleep,  but  really  was  stealthily  watching ;  and 
when  anger  moved  her,  there  flashed  a  serpentine 
dart  of  fury,  denoting  the  venom  that  lay  behind. 

Her  mouth  also,  so  firm  and  well  formed,  dis- 
closed, when  open,  thick  pads  of  flesh  under  the 
rosy  lips,  and  the  white,  regular  teeth  had  a  way  of 
snapping  sharply  together  now  and  then,  not  unlike 
a  wild  creature  seeking  its  prey;   at  the  corners  of 

V 


6       asalim :  H  IRomance  ot  ©l&  5u^ea 

her  mouth,  lines,  slight  as  yet,  curving  downward, 
indicated  cruelty,  and  sharp,  straight  ones  hinted 
at  violence  of  temper.  Moreover,  her  skin  was 
rather  swarthy,  but  this  was  entirely  concealed  by 
some  pigments  so  subtle  of  manufacture  and  so 
skilful  of  application  as  almost  to  escape  detection. 

She  was  rich  as  well  as  beautiful,  this  favourite 
of  her  gods,  or,  as  we  should  say,  of  Fortune.  Her 
dress  was  literally  purple  and  fine  linen,  of  the  most 
costly  materials  and  finest  embroidery  Damascus 
could  produce,  and  the  gems  in  her  bracelets,  ear- 
rings, and  the  tire  of  her  head  shone  like  stars. 
There  were  no  imitation  stones  three  thousand  years 
ago.  The  daughters  of  Shem  did  not  and  do  not 
change  their  garments  several  times  a  day,  and  the 
fashion  of  them  every  three  months,  as  do  the  daugh- 
ters of  Japhet.  Their  apparel  was  the  same  morning 
and  evening,  and  often  they  rested  on  their  cover- 
less  beds  with  only  loosened  robes,  for  no  metallic 
casements  imprisoned  their  frames,  and  the  light 
loose  clothing  followed  the  natural  outlines  of  the 
body.  They  wore  the  modes  their  mothers  wore 
before  them,  for  "  unchangeable  "  is  the  motto  of 
the  Asiatic  signet-ring. 

Her  surroundings  likewise  denoted  wealth.  The 
house  she  inhabited  was  only  inferior  in  size  and 
garnishing  to  the  palaces  of  the  city,  and  the  servants 


5e3ebel  7 

who  gathered  on  the  roof  to  join  in  the  aves  of 
Baal  were  numerous,  •  well  clothed,  well  fed,  and 
well  trained;  on  a  small  table  near  the  awning  re- 
freshments of  finest  wheaten  cakes,  wine,  and  water 
were  arranged  in  cups  and  ewers  of  gold  and  silver, 
the  workmanship  of  which  would  have  driven  Ben- 
venuto  Cellini  to  despair,  while  the  pottery,  which 
we  call  Phoenician,  but  was  really  that  of  the  Canaan- 
ites  and  Philistines  of  the  Bible,  might  in  form  and 
purity  put  what  we  call  "  high  art "  to  shame. 

This  woman  was  Jezebel,  the  daughter  of  Eth- 
baal,  the  high  priest  of  the  great  temple  of  Baalbec, 
one  of  the  most,  perhaps  the  most,  powerful  man 
in  the  East.  No  pope  of  the  dark  ages  ever  wielded 
greater  sway  over  the  bodies,  minds,  and  souls  of 
men  than  did  this  man,  Baal's  vice-regent,  the  living 
human  representative  of  the  sun-god.  Nay,  no  pope 
of  mediaeval  times  could  boast,  like  Ethbaal,  that 
he  had  not  one  heretic  or  spiritual  rebel  in  his  do- 
minion; like  another  Hildebrand,  he  could  put  his 
foot  upon  the  necks  of  kings,  and  acknowledge  no 
power  superior  to  his  sacerdotal  ofiice,  which,  as  he 
was  a  man  of  great  ability  and  arrogant  temper,  he 
held  with  despotic  sway. 

Such  was  the  father  of  Jezebel,  but  what  of,  and 
who  was,  her  mother? 

Similar  to  the  vestal  fire  and  the  virgins  of  pagan- 


8       Hsalim :  H  IRomance  ot  ©15  5u&ca 

ism  was  the  institution  in  Baal-worship  of  the 
sacred  flame.  The  sun  —  so  affirmed  the  priests  and 
so  beHeved  the  worshippers  —  had  darted  upon  and 
within  the  vast  temple  of  Baalbec  a  sacred  fire,  which 
was  kept  aHve  by  a  community  of  vestals  bound 
by  the  same  vows  of  chastity,  poverty,  and  obe- 
dience as  a  Christian  nun.  They  were  always 
selected  for  beauty  of  person,  and,  when  time  with- 
ered those  charms,  were  attached  to  the  temple  in 
other  offices.  So  great  were  the  honours  of  the 
position,  so  many  the  advantages,  and  so  terrible  the 
penalty  of  violated  vows,  that  the  latter  event  rarely 
occurred,  and  the  vestal  virgins  of  the  sun  reflected 
a  bright  light  of  purity  amidst  the  impurities  of 
heathendom. 

Ethbaal  —  under  a  different  name  —  was  a  young 
aspirant  for  the  priesthood,  and  the  old,  old  story 
of  -forbidden  love  broke  the  unsullied  record  of  the 
vestal  sisterhood,  for  he  loved  and  was  beloved  by 
the  youngest  and  fairest  of  the  sacred  band.  Of 
course,  the  intrigue  could  not  be  hid,  and  another 
story  as  old  as  the  first  took  place.  The  punishment 
fell  upon  the  woman;  the  man  escaped. 

No  braves  and  squaws  dancing  around  the  fire- 
stake  of  a  captive,  no  inquisitor  bending  over  the 
rack  of  a  heretic,  ever  witnessed  a  more  lingering 
and  horrible  agony  than  overtook  the  unhappy  vestal. 


The  night  before  her  death-tortures  were  to  com- 
mence, Ethbaal  obtained  an  interview  with  the  des- 
tined victim.  His  was  no  "  hght  of  love."  He 
would  have  given  all  but  his  life  to  have  called 
her  his  wife  in  the  sight  of  gods  and  men,  but  it 
could  not  be.  It  was  a  farewell  of  anguish,  and 
Ethbaal  swore  by  the  gods  to  his  doomed  love  that 
he  would  save  now,  and  never  desert  hereafter,  the 
infant  to  whom  she  had  given  birth,  and  whom  she 
placed  in  his  arms  whilst  he  took  the  oath.  This 
child  was  condemned  to  be  flung  into  the  flames 
to  Moloch,  whose  altar,  dedicated  to  such  holocausts, 
was  reared  in  a  subterranean  hall  in  the  temple  of 
Baalbec.  Every  infant  born  in  or  within  a  certain 
radius  of  the  temple  was  thus  destined;  but  if 
the  father  recognized  and  claimed  it,  the  little 
body  was  enclosed  in  a  fireproof  case  and  passed 
swiftly  and  safely  through  the  flames,  and  the  babe 
was  restored  to  the  father  and  considered  fully  dedi- 
cated by  the  unholy  baptism. 

Ethbaal  kept  his  pledge,  and,  when  the  priest  was 
about  to  fling  the  child  into  the  flames,  he  boldly 
confessed  his  paternal  relationship  and  claimed  his 
right.  It  was  accorded.  The  infant  was  dedicated 
and  given  scathless  to  Ethbaal.  Then  the  priest 
ordered  the  seizure  of  the  guilty  parent,  but  he  had 
instantly  disappeared  into  the  labyrinths  of  the  tem- 


lo     asalim:  a  IRomance  of  ®15  3u^ea 

pie  and  effected  his  escape  with  his  infant  daughter 
to  Tyre,  where  he  had  many  relatives  and  friends. 

Here  he  placed  the  little  Jezebel  —  as  he  called 
her,  after  her  mother  —  in  good  keeping,  and  for 
some  years  followed  a  mercantile  and  commercial 
life,  visiting  strange  countries,  making  successful 
ventures,  and  finally  returning  to  Baalbec  with 
wealth  at  his  command,  again  entered  the  priesthood 
and  ultimately  rose  to  its  highest  rank,  for  Ethbaal 
was  a  man  to  rise  to  the  summit  of  any  undertaking 
he  elected  to  follow. 

He  removed  Jezebel  to  Damascus,  giving  her 
every  educational  advantage  suitable  for  women  of 
her  race  and  much  that  was  meant  only  for  men. 
She  read,  she  wrote,  she  played  musical  instruments 
indifferently  well,  she  studied  astronomy  and  ex- 
celled in  astrology,  and  no  modern  actress  or  society 
woman  could  have  excelled  her  in  the  art  of  en- 
hancing feminine  beauty  and  concealing  its  defects. 
In  short,  as  she  budded  into  womanhood  she  was 
the  most  celebrated  and  the  most  admired  woman  in 
Damascus. 

It  is  well  to  be  reminded  at  this  point  that  the 
women  of  the  East  three  thousand  years  ago  were 
not  the  oppressed  and  degraded  beings  they  are  in 
the  present  day.  The  false  prophet  had  not  yet 
brought  with  him  the  atrocious  doctrine  that  women 


had  no  souls;  and  his  predecessors  had  not  instituted 
the  cruel  custom  of  shutting  them  up  for  life  within 
stone  walls  under  the  name  of  marriage.  Until  the 
blight  of  the  Moslem  fell  upon  the  East,  its  women 
were  by  no  means  to  be  commiserated.  They  were 
at  liberty  to  go  abroad,  the  veil  being  voluntary,  not 
compulsory,  wear  adopted  for  privacy  or  protection. 
They  could  hold  independent  property,  were  ad- 
mitted to  the  companionship  of  their  lords,  were 
honoured  for  motherhood  and  feminine  virtue; 
their  household  skill  and  accomplishments  were 
highly  praised  and  appreciated,  whilst,  if  opportunity 
and  ability  allowed,  the  highest  authority  was 
accorded  them,  and  a  Semiramis  and  a  Jezebel 
wielded  a  power  which  throws  that  of  our  Cather- 
ines and  Elizabeths  into  the  shade.  The  women 
of  a  greater  or  less  portion  of  the  three  old  continents 
of  Asia,  Africa,  and  Europe  owe  their  present  de- 
basement to  Mahomet  and  his  followers,  as  the 
Christian  woman  has  received  her  freedom,  dignity, 
and  emancipation  from  the  Christ.  It  is  needful 
to  bear  in  mind  the  contrasted  condition  of  Asiatic 
women  now  and  then,  in  order  to  understand  the 
independence  of  life  and  action  in  the  feminine 
characters  of  this  history. 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed,  however,  that  so  great  and 


12     Baalim :  a  IRomance  ot  ®l&  5u&ea 

sagacious  a  man  as  Ethbaal  would  leave  his  young 
and  beautiful  daughter  unprotected  in  a  large  city 
like  Damascus.  The  prudent  priest  had  provided 
a  guard  more  watchful  than  the  sleepy  dragon  of 
the  Hesperides,  more  vigilant  than  a  Spanish  duenna 
of  the  eighteenth,  and  far  stricter  than  an  English 
chaperon  of  the  past  nineteenth,  century.  This  was 
the  eunuch  Gehanan,  the  steward  of  the  house  pro- 
vided for  Jezebel,  a  very  subtle  man,  and  one  whom 
the  high  priest  could  trust  thoroughly  to  keep  away 
all  lovers  and  suitors  from  his  daughter  until  he 
had  selected  a  husband  whose  position  and  riches 
should  justify  his  own  ambition.  So  well  had  Ge- 
hanan fulfilled  this  duty  that  Jezebel,  although  the 
most  admired  and  talked  of  maiden  in  Damascus, 
and  herself  at  this  time  professing  no  other  thought 
or  wish  save  for  the  homage  and  adoration  of  men, 
had  never  yet  been  engaged  in  the  most  innocent  of 
love  passages,  nay,  had  scarcely  even  had  the  oppor- 
tunity of  amusing  herself  with  what  we  should  call 
a  mere  flirtation. 

Gehanan  conducted  his  surveillance  with  consum- 
mate skill.  The  personal  liberty  of  his  master's 
daughter  was  never  interfered  with.  Her  goings 
out  and  comings  in  were  apparently  as  unfettered 
as  the  air  she  breathed,  and  yet,  like  the  atmosphere 


that  surrounded  her,  she  did  not  see,  she  was  scarcely 
aware  she  felt  it,  but  all  the  same  she  knew  that 
Gehanan's  watchful  care  pervaded  her  every  move- 
ment, attended  her  uprisings  and  downsittings,  and 
never  relaxed  its  unwearied  oversight. 

They  were  covert  enemies.  The  eunuch  hated 
Jezebel  for  her  gifts  and  haughty  demeanour  to 
himself,  and  she  returned  the  feeling  a  hundredfold, 
treasuring  up  future  vengeance  against  him  for  his 
interference  with  her  life  and  longed-for  pleasures. 
She  watched  him  closely,  hoping  to  find  an  occasion 
to  accuse  him  to  her  father,  and  thus  compass  his 
dismissal. 

It  was  not  long  before  she  discovered  what  she 
sought;  Gehanan's  vice  was  avarice,  and  it  was 
insatiable.  To  add  to  his  store  he  systematically 
defrauded  the  chief  priest,  and  Jezebel  obtained  clear 
proofs  of  his  dishonesty. 

"  My  father,"  she  said,  triumphantly,  "  it  is  my 
duty  to  tell  you  that  your  steward  takes  bribes  from 
the  merchants,  and  sells  at  least  a  tithe  of  all  goods 
that  come  into  this  house." 

"  I  know  it,  my  daughter,"  returned  Ethbaal. 
"  He  robs  me  without  mercy,  but  then,  as  he  allows 
no  other  man  to  steal  from  me  but  himself,  I  have 
reckoned  clearly  that  I  am  a  gainer  in  the  end." 

Jezebel   possessed   the   intuitive   quickness   of   a 


14     Hsalim:  H  IRomance  ot  ®lt>  5uDea 

woman,  as  well  as  the  harder  reason  of  a  man,  and 
she  made  no  further  effort  to  displace  Gehanan. 
She  divined,  and  justly,  that  it  would  be  useless 
to  again  attempt  to  do  so. 


CHAPTER    II. 

AZALIM 

The  excitement  of  the  morning  devotion  over, 
Jezebel,  like  the  other  inhabitants  of  Damascus, 
turned  to  the  affairs  of  life.  The  ennui  which  ever 
hangs  over  the  leisure  of  the  rich  oppressed  her, 
and  she  looked  around  for  some  distraction  with 
which  to  dispel  its  shadow. 

The  house  in  which  she  dwelt  was  a  large,  square 
one,  facing  each  quarter  of  the  compass.  The  north 
commanded  the  distant  Lebanon;  the  east  over- 
looked the  city;  the  west,  the  gates  leading  to  the 
land  of  Israel ;  and  the  south  looked  straight  down 
into  the  great  slave-market,  where  the  captives  in 
war  and  the  bondsmen  of  service  were  bought  like 
beasts  of  burden,  or  herds  and  flocks  of  the  field. 

Jezebel  leaned  over  the  balustrade  giving  on  the 
streets,  amusing  herself  with  the  lively  passing  and 
business  below,  when  sounds  proceeding  from  the 
opposite  side  caused  her  to  follow  them  and  to 
perceive  a  band  of  Syrian  soldiers  returning  with 


i6     Baalim :  H  IRomance  of  ©l&  5u^ea 

their  spoils  from  a  raid  over  the  rich  lands  of  Gilead. 
All  discipline  was  relaxed,  and  the  blare  of  ram's- 
horn  trumpets,  the  clash  of  cymbals,  and  the  bellow- 
ing- of  a  frightened,  overdriven  drove  of  cattle  min- 
gled with  the  shouts  of  the  soldiers,  the  cries  of  the 
camp-followers,  and  the  groans  of  the  miserable 
captives,  who  were  bound  together  by  ropes  in  gangs 
and  subjected  to  the  blows  and  insults  of  their 
captors. 

The  captain  of  this  company  was  one  of  Jezebel's 
numerous  admirers,  and  when  he  approached  the 
gate  she  waved  a  scrap  of  her  favourite  rose  colour 
to  him.  Like  the  knight  of  a  tournament,  he  or- 
dered a  halt  to  his  chariot,  stood  up,  and  waved 
a  like-coloured  trifle  he  took  from  a  crevice  of  his 
armour,  and,  fixing  it  on  the  top  of  his  lance,  low- 
ered it  toward  her  as  if  in  presentation.  Then,  as 
a  soldier  on  duty  who  has  other  things  to  do  besides 
paying  homage  to  fair  women,  he  drove  through 
the  open  gates  into  the  slave-market,  followed  by 
his  train.  The  cattle  were  driven  into  an  adjoining 
corral,  a  space  was  cleared  in  the  market,  the  slaves 
were  liberated  from  their  cords,  and  the  division  of 
spoils  was  adjudged  by  the  captain  and  his  officers. 

Jezebel's  delight  at  this  scene  was  unbounded. 
The  cruel  down-curved  lines  at  the  comers  of  her 
mouth  deepened  with  pleasure  as  she  marked  the 


Hsalim  17 

sufferings  of  the  prisoners  and  the  wounds  of  the 
soldiers,  for  the  latter  had  not  escaped  unhurt.  The 
whole  scene  satisfied  her.  After  awhile  she  tired 
of  this  amusement,  and,  seeking  variety,  her  eyes 
fell  upon  a  figure  standing  somewhat  apart  from 
the  crowd  of  captives,  which  at  once  fixed  her  atten- 
tion and  roused  her  interest. 

This  person  was  a  young  man  of  some  twenty 
years,  perhaps,  clad  in  the  garb  of  a  herdsman  of 
Gilead.  A  tunic  of  finest  sheep's  wool,  dyed  a  golden 
brown  and  made  in  one  piece,  reached  from  his 
shoulders  to  below  his  knees,  closely  fitting  his  shape, 
and  leaving  neck,  arms,  and  legs  bare.  A  herds- 
man's long  whip,  coiled  carefully  around  his  arm, 
hung  over  his  back,  and  a  sheep  dirk-knife  was  thrust 
into  the  belt  around  his  waist.  This  must  have  been 
heedlessly  overlooked  by  the  soldiery,  for  it  would 
have  been  a  formidable  weapon  had  he  found  an 
opportunity  of  using  it.  Jezebel  was  as  enthusiastic 
an  appreciator  of  masculine  comeliness  as  many  men 
are  connoisseurs  in  feminine  beauty,  and  the  phy- 
sique of  this  young  Hebrew  struck  her  fancy  with 
decided  approval,  though  she  noted  a  peculiarity  in 
the  young  man.  His  hair  was  not  cut  after  the 
fashion  of  either  Syria  or  Israel,  but  fell  on  his 
shoulders  in  seven  thick  locks.  Jezebel  thought  the 
mode  became  the  wearer,  yet,  not  being  the  cus- 


i8     Hsaltm :  a  IRomance  of  ®lt)  5u&ca 

tomary  one,  it  displeased  her  eye,  and  she  wondered 
why  so  young  and  goodly  a  man  should  thus  render 
himself  unlike  his  fellows.  She  was  ignorant  of 
the  vow  of  the  Israelite  Nazarite,  indicated  by  the 
unshorn  head,  and  to  which  this  young  herdsman 
had  been  devoted  from  —  nay,  before  —  his  birth. 

The  seed  of  Abraham  we  gather  to  have  been  of 
unusual  bodily  perfection  three  thousand  years  ago. 
Those  two  special  favourites  of  Jehovah,  David  and 
Joseph,  were  eminent  for  personal  gifts,  yet  they 
can  scarcely  have  surpassed  those  of  this  young 
Azalim  the  Tishbite,  of  Gilead.  Perfect  in  limb 
and  frame  as  a  god  of  old  pagan  Greece,  alert  and 
graceful  in  every  movement  as  a  panther  on  the 
spring,  with  an  air  of  abounding  health  and  strength 
clothing  him  as  with  a  garment,  with  features  fine 
and  noble,  —  what  wonder  that  Jezebel  appreciated 
and  admired  such  rare  perfection. 

But  when  she  looked  more  closely  on  his  face, 
she  saw  there  a  fixed  look  of  hopeless  misery  which, 
in  one  less  attractive,  would  have  excited  her  con- 
tempt, or  gratified  her  cruelty;  as  it  was,  it  only 
increased  her  interest  in  the  goodly  stranger. 

Truly  the  young  Hebrew  had  cause  for  his  de- 
spair. At  the  very  apex  of  his  good  fortune,  the 
climax  of  his  happiness,  the  deluge  had  overwhelmed 
him.     On  this  same  eve  he  was  to  have  married 


B3dlim  19 

Zillah,  the  daughter  of  Phanuel,  a  man  of  great 
substance  in  the  land,  and  this  wild  herd  of  cattle 
had  been  part  of  her  dower.  Not  that  he  thought 
of  dower  when  he  thought  of  Zillah.  His  love 
for  her  was  like  that  of  his  forefather  Jacob  for  his 
foremother  Rachel.  He  was  of  the  tribe  of  Manas- 
seh,  —  his  life-service  would  have  been  but  as  one 
day's  work  to  purchase  his  bride,  and  now  she  was 
lost  to  him  for  ever,  for  there  was  no  exchange  of 
prisoners  of  war  three  thousand  years  ago. 

And  what  a  life  there  was  before  him.  The 
menial  slave  in  a  Syrian  family  or  a  doorkeeper  in 
the  house  of  their  gods;  a  prisoner  stifled  under 
roofs  and  within  walls !  He,  whose  life  almost  from 
birth  had  been  spent  in  God's  open  air !  He  who  had 
lived  amongst  the  melee  of  horns  and  hoofs  and 
heads,  to  whom  the  crack  of  the  whip  and  the 
stampede  of  the  herd  was  as  the  trumpet  and  charge 
of  the  battle!  "O  God  of  my  fathers!"  he 
groaned.     "Why  hast  thou  thus  dealt  with  me?" 

At  this  supreme  moment  of  his  wretchedness,  a 
great  commotion  and  confusion  arose  in  the  market. 
The  captured  cattle,  insecurely  fastened  into  their 
enclosure,  had  broken  out,  and,  rushing  through  the 
still  open  gate  of  the  city,  were  scattering  over  the 
plain,  eagerly  cropping  the  sweet,  rich  grass  which 
the  well-irrigated  land  supplied.    In  a  moment  Aza- 


ao     H3altm:  H  IRomance  ot  ©15  5u^ea 

lim  was  on  the  alert.  The  instincts  of  the  herdsman 
overcame  all  thought  of  personal  trouble.  He  caught 
up  one  of  the  long  ropes  which  had  bound  the 
prisoners  together,  selected  three  smooth  stones 
which  lay  ready  to  steady  the  tent-pegs  of  the  mer- 
chants, drew  his  hunter's  knife  from  his  girdle,  and, 
with  incredible  quickness,  fashioned  a  weapon  re- 
sembling a  bolas,  such  as  is  used  in  the  South  Amer- 
ican pampas.  Then,  springing  on  the  empty  saddle 
of  one  of  the  soldier's  horses,  he  galloped  from  the 
gate  into  the  midst  of  the  herd. 

He  knew  his  cattle  and  they  knew  him,  for  he 
had  been  Phanuel's  chief  herdsman  almost  from 
boyhood,  and  as  he  uncoiled  and  flung  out  the  long 
lash  of  his  cattle-whip  and  called  in  the  language 
they  knew  so  well  and  had  obeyed  so  docilely,  it 
seemed  as  if  he  would  rally  and  bring  back  the  herd, 
but  he  soon  changed  his  purpose.  An  enormous  bull 
of  Bashan,  evidently  the  leader,  was  feeding  in 
advance  of  the  rest,  and,  when  aware  of  the  pursuit, 
he  uttered  a  loud  bellow  and  started  off  in  the 
direction  of  Gilead;  the  young  bull  aids-de-camp 
and  obedient  cows  and  heifers  threw  ofif  their  alle- 
giance to  their  accustomed  chief,  and  galloped  after 
the  leader  of  their  own  kind. 

Azalim  perceived  the  hopelessness  of  endeavour- 
ing to  gather  the  herd,  and,  indeed,  he  had  enough 


to  do  for  a  few  minutes  to  manage  his  war-horse, 
who,  unflinching  in  the  battle,  was  restive  as  an 
unbroken  colt  in  the  midst  of  the  terrified,  half- 
maddened  cattle,  and,  by  every  possible  way  and 
trick  that  a  horse  can  practise,  tried  to  throw  his 
rider.  He  might  as  well  have  endeavoured  to  shake 
off  one  of  his  own  limbs,  and,  at  length,  realizing 
the  impotency  of  his  attempts,  the  animal  submitted 
to  his  new-found  master.  The  latter,  disentangling 
himself  from  the  crowd  of  cattle,  headed  for  the 
monstrous  bull  leader,  whom  he  soon  overtook,  and 
to  whom  he  shouted  in  a  speech  and  tone  which 
had  never  until  now  been  disregarded,  for  Gozan  — 
the  creature's  name  —  had  hitherto  been  submissive 
as  a  dog  to  the  herdsman's  voice. 

A  stroke  of  lightning  had  killed  Gozan's  mother 
a  week  after  his  birth,  as  she  lay  with  her  young 
calf  under  a  tree,  and  Azalim's  hand,  dipped  in  a 
bowl  of  milk,  gave  food  and  comfort  to  the  baby 
bull  until  it  could  fend  for  itself,  and,  though  so 
fierce  to  all  others  as  to  be  the  terror  of  the  country 
round,  the  beast  was  always  docile  with  Azalim. 

But  liberty  was  stronger  than  love  and  gratitude, 
and,  instead  of  obeying,  Gozan  thundered  on  in 
flight,  until  Azalim  outstripped,  then  turned  and 
faced,  the  huge  beast. 

Gozan  bellowed  hoarsely,  lowered  his  head  for 


2  2     Bsalim :  H  IRomance  ot  Ql^  3\xbca 

a  moment  or  two,  and  then  tried  to  evade  his  enemy 
and  continue  his  flight,  but  this  the  herdsman  pre- 
vented by  the  most  skilful  horsemanship.  The  bull 
tore  up  the  grass,  and  again  lowered  his  horns  for 
an  attack. 

After  a  short  skirmish  of  wonderful  agility  on 
the  part  of  the  horseman,  and  of  blind  onsets  of  brute 
force  by  the  bull,  Azalim  brought  the  contest  to 
a  close.  He  reined  up  his  horse  before  a  slight 
rise  of  the  ground.  The  huge  bull,  with  head  low- 
ered between  his  fore  legs,  blundered  at  rather  than 
charged  his  antagonist,  and,  not  perceiving  the  ele- 
vation, stumbled  upon  it.  Azalim,  at  this  moment, 
threw  the  bolas  around  its  hind  legs.  The  animal, 
thus  unexpectedly  assailed,  lost  balance  and  footing, 
and  fell  with  a  thud  that  shook  the  ground. 

In  a  moment  Azalim  was  on  his  feet,  fastened 
the  bridle  of  his  horse  to  a  tree  near  by,  and  threw 
himself  on  the  body  of  the  fallen  bull,  whispering,  as 
he  did  so,  into  Gozan's  ear.  The  struggles  of  the 
animal  ceased,  and,  as  his  master's  hand  fell  near 
its  mouth,  either  some  dull  sense  of  memory  or 
the  returning  habit  of  subjection  caused  the  creature 
to  put  out  its  tongue  and  fold  the  fingers  near  him  in 
the  same  way  in  which  long  before  he  had  accepted 
sustenance  from  the  young  lad  in  place  of  his 
mother. 


Ssalim  23 

The  herdsman  now  disentangled  the  balls  of  the 
bolas,  quickly  cast  them  away,  and  made  a  running 
noose  at  the  end  of  the  rope,  which  he  attached  to 
the  horns  of  Gozan,  and  ordered  him  to  arise.  The 
great  bull  floundered  to  his  feet.  Azalim,  still  hold- 
ing the  lasso,  led  him  to  the  horse,  mounted,  and  the 
trio  galloped  back  to  the  city. 

A  considerable  crowd  had  gathered  outside  the 
gates  to  witness  this  spectacle,  and  not  one  individual 
amongst  them  was  more  intensely  interested  in  its 
progress  than  the  daughter  of  Ethbaal.  She  had 
watched  the  play  with  eyes  that  had  almost  the 
range  and  power  of  a  field-glass,  and  seconded  the 
approving  shouts  and  cheers  of  the  people  by  her 
own  cries,  clapping  of  hands,  and  waving  of  dra- 
pery. All  the  time  there  mingled  with  her  admira- 
tion a  half-unconscious  regret  that  this  gifted  youth 
was  doubtless  making  the  exhibition  only  a  feint 
to  escape,  and  that  she  should  see  him  no  more. 

But  when  he  rode  back  through  the  gate,  leading 
the  great  bull,  and  followed  by  the  cattle  and  the 
populace,  and  resumed  his  place  in  the  market  with 
the  same  expression  of  despair  as  before,  something 
of  contempt  mingled  with  her  approval,  finding  vent 
in  the  exclamation : 

"  Thou  wonderful  well-favoured  fool,  to  come 
back  when  thou  mightest  have  escaped." 


24     Hsaltm :  H  IRomance  ot  ®lt)  5u6ca 

In  truth,  it  was  unaccountable  that  the  captive, 
with  the  advantage  of  so  good  a  start  on  a  fleet 
horse,  should  so  recklessly  have  thrown  the  chance 
away. 

"  Ah,  well,"  soliloquized  Jezebel,  "  as  he  has  come 
back,  he  shall  be  bought  as  a  slave  for  my  house- 
hold." 

She  beckoned  to  one  of  her  maidens,  who  had 
been  permitted  to  see  the  show  from  the  roof,  and 
said : 

"  Bid  Gehanan  come  to  me." 

Gehanan  obeyed  the  summons  of  his  young  mis- 
tress, and,  as  he  reached  the  housetop,  bowed  low 
before  her,  almost  touching  the  ground  with  his 
forehead. 

"  What  is  thy  command,  O  daughter  of  the  great 
Ethbaal  ?  "  he  said.  "  It  shall  be  obeyed  even  to  the 
cost  of  my  life." 

"  I  wish  the  Israelite  captive,  who  has  just  rescued 
the  captain's  cattle,  to  be  bought  as  my  servant,  to 
direct  my  Nubians,  see  after  my  watch-dog,  my 
camel,  and  my  white  ass.  Let  no  time  be  lost, 
Gehanan,  for  rny  will  is  set  upon  his  possession." 

Gehanan  was  indolent  and  heavy  of  figure,  with  a 
smooth,  inscrutable  face  and  downcast  eyes  that  yet 
saw  and  noted  everything.  The  eagerness  of  the 
manner  and  the  evident  interest  his  young  mistress 


took  in  the  young  Hebrew  had  not  escaped  him. 
He  made  his  own  comment  upon  it,  and  resolved  to 
act  accordingly. 

"  I  hear  and  obey,  daughter  of  Ethbaal,"  he  an- 
swered, with  another  obeisance.  As  he  turned  to 
go,  Jezebel  called  him  back. 

"  Send  him  in  at  once,"  she  said,  "  for  he  is 
hungry  and  travel-worn,  and  my  servants  shall  at- 
tend to  his  wants." 

"  Thy  will  shall  be  done,  daughter  of  Ethbaal," 
replied  the  obsequious  steward,  but  as  he  departed 
for  the  market,  he  muttered,  "  No  dog  of  an  Israel- 
ite shall  be  thy  minion,  thou  insolent  daughter  of 
as  insolent  a  priest." 

Gehanan  went  at  once  to  the  merchant  who  had 
bought  all  the  captives  from  the  captain,  and,  with 
a  secret  bribe,  obtained  a  promise  that  Azalim 
should  be  assigned  to  the  service  of  the  gods.  He 
then  arranged  that  until  the  evening  the  young 
herdsman  should  remain  at  the  house  of  the  daugh- 
ter of  the  high  priest.  This  was  a  wily  ruse  of 
the  eunuch's,  as,  while  it  appeared  he  had  complied 
with  his  mistress's  will,  it  gave  the  merchant  time 
to  sell  Azalim. 

The  captive  accordingly  was  brought  into  the 
presence  of  Jezebel,  and  a  sorry  figure  he  presented 
on  nearer  view.    His  raiment  was  torn,  he  bore  the 


26     Bsaltm :  H  'Romance  ot  ^lt>  5u0ea 

marks  of  blows  on  his  person,  and  his  face  was 
deadly  pale  with  privation ,  and  despair.  Jezebel, 
callous  as  she  was  in  general  to  the  sufferings  of 
others,  was  touched  by  his  appearance. 

"  Thou  art  sick,  O  son  of  Israel,"  she  half-whis- 
pered in  a  soft,  sympathetic  tone.  "  My  people  shall 
give  thee  food,  rest,  and  whole  clothing,  and  in  the 
service  of  the  daughter  of  Ethbaal  thou  shalt  find 
no  lack  in  the  future." 

The  anguish  of  Azalim's  mind  and  the  sufferings 
of  his  body  so  mastered  his  being  that  he  did  not 
realize  or  comprehend  her,  and  he  made  no  reply. 

"  One  question  before  thou  goest,"  she  said, 
somewhat  coldly.  "  Why,  when  you  had  so  fair 
an  opportunity  of  escape,  did  you  not  avail  yourself 
of  it?" 

Azalim  understood  her  now.  "  Because,"  he  an- 
swered, "  your  Syrian  captain  pitied  the  torture  of 
my  bound  limbs,  and  offered  to  free  them  if  I  would 
g^ve  my  word  not  to  attempt  to  escape  so  long  as 
I  was  under  his  charge." 

"  And  you  were  fool  enough  to  keep  your  word 
when  its  forfeit  would  have  given  you  freedom," 
remarked  Jezebel,  with  an  accent  of  supreme  con- 
tempt. 

"  I  am  no  son  of  Belial  to  have  broken  it,"  re- 


H3alim  a; 

torted  Azalim,  with  equal  scorn.  "  The  chosen 
people  of  Jehovah,  the  God  of  truth,  dare  not  lie !  " 

"  Then  he  is  no  God  for  me !  "  jeered  Jezebel. 
"  Why,  stranger,  lying  is  an  art.  They  who  know 
not  how  to  lie,  know  not  how  to  live.  The  worship- 
pers of  thy  God,"  she  added,  returning  to  the  first 
person,  "  must  be  of  the  simple  ones,  who  lack 
understanding." 

The  hot  flush  on  Azalim's  pale  cheek,  and  the 
angry  flash  in  his  eye,  warned  Jezebel  to  change  the 
subject,  and,  turning  to  her  servants,  she  said  in 
Syriac : 

"  Take  him  to  the  bath,  shave  ofif  those  seven 
locks,  which,  however  becoming  to  the  Israelite,  is 
not  the  Syrian  usage,  dress  him  in  the  tunic  of 
servitude,  give  him  wine  and  meat,  and  a  rest  in 
the  noontide  heat,  and  then  I  will  again  speak  to 
him." 

Ethbaal's  daughter,  as  has  been  said,  was  cultured 
in  all  the  learning  of  her  age,  and  was  an  excellent 
linguist,  speaking  Hebrew  fluently,  but  the  young 
herdsman  knew  no  tongue  but  his  own,  and,  natu- 
rally, did  not  understand  her  order.  He  had  been 
used  to  bathe  alone  in  the  tributaries  of  the  Jordan, 
and  was  ill  pleased  to  find  the  attendants  remaining 
with  him  to  assist  his  ablutions  in  the  great  marble 
bath.    But  when  one  of  them  approached  him,  razor 


28      Hsalim :  a  IRomance  ot  ®l&  3u&ea 

in  hand,  and,  laying  hold  of  one  of  his  large  locks, 
raised  the  weapon  to  sever  it,  no  professional  modern 
pugilist  could  have  given  a  better  directed  stroke 
than  that  with  which  Azalim  struck  the  would-be 
operator  to  the  ground,  sending  the  razor  flying 
after  him.  The  others  present  hastily  assisted  their 
fellow  to  his  feet  and  fled  from  the  place.  The 
young  Hebrew  refreshed  himself  with  the  bath, 
dressed  in  the  garments  prpvided  for  him,  and 
passed  into  the  outer  room,  where  two  of  the  serv- 
ants were  waiting.  These  signed  him  to  be  seated 
at  a  table  on  which  a  meal  of  goat  flesh,  fine  wheaten 
bread,  fruits,  and  red  wine  was  soon  placed. 

No  wine  or  strong  drink  had  ever  touched  the 
lips  of  the  young  Nazarite.  Even  its  proximity  was 
a  pollution.  Seizing  the  ewer  which  contained  the 
liquor,  he  emptied  it  on  the  ground,  and,  filling  a 
goblet  with  the  water  also  provided,  made  a  meal 
which  a  less  hungry  and  more  fastidious  man  might 
well  have  enjoyed.  When  he  had  finished  he  was 
conducted  to  a  couch,  on  which  he  lay  down,  to 
complete  by  rest  and  sleep  the  restoration  begun 
by  the  bath  and  food. 

Of  course,  the  captive's  conduct  was  reported  by 
the  servants  to  their  mistress,  who,  to  their  surprise, 
instead  of  showing  displeasure,  appeared  amused, 
even  pleased,  by  the  recital. 


Bsaltm  39 

"  I  am  glad  he  has  the  spirit  of  the  gods,  and  not 
of  men  or  mice,"  she  exclaimed,  laughingly.  "  We 
shall  soon  tame  him  to  our  Syrian  customs." 

When  Azalim  awoke,  after  many  hours  of  sleep, 
it  was  to  find  himself  lying  on  a  couch  in  a  spacious 
hall  paved  with  coloured  marbles,  in  which,  here  and 
there,  fountains  threw  up  their  silvery  spray  and 
sparkled  in  the  light.  From  a  doorway  opening 
on  a  delightsome  garden  a  soft  fresh  breeze  stole 
in,  with  the  song  of  birds  from  an  aviary  of  lattice- 
work, and  opposite  him,  within  an  alcove,  a  beautiful 
woman,  dressed  in  the  richest  stuffs  and  adorned 
with  radiant  gems,  reclined  on  a  heap  of  cushions. 
On  either  side  of  her  stood  a  Nubian  boy,  exactly 
alike,  and  black  as  ebony.  One  youth  was  attired  in 
a  scarlet  tunic  embroidered  in  silver,  and  the  other 
was  vested  in  a  white  garment  similarly  fashioned 
and  bordered  with  gold.  The  scarlet-clothed  youth 
held  an  enormous  fan  of  white  feathers,  and  the 
other  one  of  scarlet,  with  which  they  gently  fanned 
the  air  around  their  mistress. 

Azalim  at  once  recognized  the  woman  to  whom 
he  had  already  been  presented,  and  he  left  his  couch 
and  bowed  low  before  her. 

"  Approach,  young  Hebrew,"  she  said,  graciously. 
"  Take  this  footstool  and  rest  at  my  side  whilst  I 
again  wish  you  joy  at  the  good  fortune  of  entering 


3°     Hsalim :  a  IRomance  of  ®l&  3u&ca 

the  household  of  Jezebel,  the  daughter  of  the  great 
and  powerful  high  priest  of  Baal." 

"  Alas,  lady,"  replied  the  young  Israelite,  not 
raising  his  eyes  from  the  ground,  "  all  joy  is  passed 
from  me  for  ever.  To  the  captive  in  a  far-off  land 
death  is  preferable  to  the  gilded  cage  of  the  pris- 
oner." 

"  Not  so,  not  so !  "  she  responded,  hastily.  "  We 
Syrians  are  kind  to  our  servants,  and  their  yoke 
is  slightly  felt;  but  tell  me  your  name  and  calling, 
and  how  you  fell  prisoner  to  our  bands." 

"  I  am  Azalim,  the  Tishbite,  a  herdsman  of 
Gilead,  lady,  the  adopted  son  of  a  holy  prophet  of 
the  Lord  God  of  Israel.  I  was  tending  the  herds 
of  my  master  Phanuel  when  the  Syrian  band  came 
upon  us,  sudden  as  the  lightning  from  the  summer 
cloud,  and  we  were  overcome,  taken,  and  —  " 

"  Overcome  and  taken  to  be  brought  into  the 
service  of  the  first  lady  in  Damascus,"  interrupted 
Jezebel.  "  The  gods  have  been  good  to  thee,  young 
Hebrew.  Thou  shalt  never  regret  the  hour  of  cap- 
ture which  has  brought  thee  to  Ethbaal's  daughter. 
I  will  have  no  man  around  me  who  is  not  comely  in 
person,  and  thou  will  outstrip  them  all  in  my 
favour." 

Jezebel  looked  at  Azalim  sharply,  expecting  to 
see  him  in  a  confusion  of  gratified  vanity  at  receiv- 


Hsalim  31 

ing  such  overt  flattery  from  so  great  and  beautiful 
a  woman,  but  he  was  too  despairing  of  heart  to  be 
accessible  on  the  side  of  his  personal  vanity;  for 
the  present,  moreover,  his  mind  was  filled  with  the 
image  of  another  woman,  so  that  neither  the 
Syrian's  undeniable  beauty  nor  her  position  as  his 
future  owner  affected  him. 

Surprised  at  this  indifference,  to  which  she  was 
little  accustomed,  and  perhaps  to  hide  her  pique,  she 
said: 

"  As  thou  art  now  rested  and  refreshed  from  thy 
travel,  I  will  myself  conduct  thee  to  the  place  and 
explain  the  services  I  require  of  thee." 

She  waved  back  her  Nubians,  signed  Azalim  to 
her  side,  and  led  him  to  a  court  where  many  pea- 
cocks strutted,  spreading  and  trailing  their  gorgeous 
feather-trains;  then  to  a  small  grove  where  apes 
chattered  and  gibbered;  to  a  stable  where  a  white 
ass,  of  unusual  size  and  great  beauty,  and  a  camel 
were  evidently  most  carefully  tended.  Then  she 
spoke. 

"  To  thy  care,  Israelite,  I  commit  these  creatures, 
and  now  I  will  show  thee  the  most  valued  by  me 
of  them  all.  One  whom  at  present "  —  she  paused 
and  looked  at  him  expressively  —  "I  love  better 
than  any  living  being,  and  who  loves  me  more  than 


32     Bsalim :  U  IRomancc  of  ©l^  Jubca 

all  my  would-be  lovers,  for  he  loves  me  only  and 
hates  all  else.    Moloch,  my  dog  —  !  " 

"  Dog ! "  interrupted  Azalim,  in  a  tone  of  such 
intense  scorn  and  aversion  as  to  cause  Jezebel  to 
look  at  him  with  displeasure.  Perhaps  there  is  no 
greater  contrast  between  three  thousand  years  ago 
and  the  present  than  in  the  attitude  of  its  two 
humanities  toward  the  dog.  Then  no  insulting 
name  in  any  Eastern  tongue  could  be  found  of 
such  offensive  and  degrading  meaning  as  dog!  No 
thing  endowed  with  life  was  so  neglected,  ill-used, 
and  despised.  The  dog  was  given  a  bad  name,  and, 
as  a  consequence,  deserved  it.  All  his  natural  vices 
flourished,  all  his  fine  qualities  were  in  abeyance. 
Treacherous,  servile,  the  mean  qualities  of  what  we 
term  a  cur  were  his.  The  dog  prowled  at  large, 
the  Ishmael  of  creation,  as  repulsive  in  appearance 
as  he  was  dangerous  in  temper.  But,  in  these  days, 
careful  training  and  generous  treatment  haye 
changed  his  vices  into  virtues,  his  treachery  to 
fidelity,  his  servility  to  obedience,  his  meannesses 
to  sagacity  and  unerring  instinct.  Moreover,  he 
possesses  an  intuitive  understanding  of  and  sym- 
pathy with  his  master  which  justifies  his  present 
title  of  "  The  friend  of  man." 

"  Yes,  *  dog,'  "  the  priest's  daughter  repeated.  "  A 
dog  who  followed  me  as  a  whelp,  and  will  let  none 


Hsaltm  33 

touch  him  but  myself.  It  will  be  thy  duty,  Israelite, 
to  run  with  him  beside  my  camel  or  white  ass  when 
I  go  abroad,  and  I  warn  thee  to  keep  the  chain 
tight  to  his  head,  or  woe  to  thy  throat  or  limbs ! " 

What  Azalim  thought  of  this  service  he  had  no 
time  to  express,  for  they  now  stood  before  the  kennel 
in  which  Jezebel's  favourite,  securely  chained,  lay 
mangling  the  body  of  a  dead  lamb,  for  Moloch  pre- 
ferred killing  his  own  meat,  and  refused  all  other 
food.  Even  when  lying  down  he  appeared  a  mon- 
strous creature,  far  more  like  a  wolf  than  even  the 
miserable  scavengers  of  the  city.  His  coarse  black 
hair  was  scanty  here  and  tufted  there  on  his  lean, 
gaunt  hide.  The  head  was  long  and  pointed,  and 
the  blood  of  the  lamb  was  dropping  from  his  jaws, 
and  might  have  been  also  in  his  evil  eyes,  they  were 
so  heavily  bloodshot.  Jezebel  went  fearlessly  up  to 
this  creature  and  laid  her  hand  caressingly  on  its 
head. 

"  Good  Moloch,  beloved  Moloch ! "  she  said,  in 
her  softest  voice,  —  and  it  could  be  very  soft  when 
she  pleased,  — "  thou  pride  of  the  great  priest's 
daughter,  rise  up  and  show  thyself  to  this  goodly 
Hebrew  captive,  who  has  become  servant  to  thy 
mistress  and  shall  be  as  a  slave  to  thyself." 

But  Moloch  did  not  rise.    He  eyed  Azalim  with 


34     Hsaltm:  H  IRomance  ot  ®l&  Jubca 

no  friendly  glance,  and  drew  up  his  lip  from  over 
his  teeth. 

"  Rise  up,  Moloch.  Rise,  beloved  of  thy  mis- 
tress !  "  repeated  Jezebel,  in  a  still  softer,  sweeter 
tone,  but  the  sullen  brute  did  not  move  a  muscle. 

Now  Azalim,  who  was  a  past  master  in  exacting 
obedience  from  the  lower  animals,  lost  patience  at 
this  scene.  He  snatched  up  a  small  whip  from  the 
ground,  with  which  the  servants  of  the  priest's 
daughter  chastised  Moloch,  —  when  he  was  securely 
chained,  —  and  with  it  inflicted  a  sharp  stroke 
on  Moloch's  back,  accompanied  with  a  vigorous  kick 
in  his  ribs,  and  exclaimed,  in  a  voice  of  stern,  quick 
authority,  "  Rise  up,  thou  scum  of  Gehenna !  Arise, 
thee!" 

Moloch  had  never  before  heard  a  word  of  Hebrew ; 
yet,  with  a  dog's  intuitive  instinct,  he  evidently 
understood  the  command,  and  dared  not  disobey  it, 
for,  with  something  between  a  growl  and  a  whine, 
he  instantly  rose  to  his  feet. 

The  angry  blood  that  rose  to  Jezebel's  cheek 
flushed  through  her  paint.  Her  servant  had  ven- 
tured to  interfere,  and  her  dog  bad  obeyed  him 
when  he  had  disobeyed  her. 

"  How  darest  thou,  a  captive  and  a  slave,  act  like 
a  lord  in  the  presence  of  thy  mistress  ?  "  she  cried. 

Azalim  had  had  but  little  experience  of  women. 


Hsalim  35 

His  intercourse  with  them  had  been  restricted  to  the 
affection  of  his  sister  Salome,  the  love  of  Zillah, 
and  the  acquaintance  of  the  maidens  and  matrons 
of  his  vicinity.  The  only  feminine  authority  he  had 
ever  known  was  the  gentle  sway  of  Phanuel's  wife, 
his  future  mother-in-law,  and  he  was  by  no  means 
inclined  to  submit  to  this  Syrian  damsel,  who,  after 
all,  was  younger  than  himself. 

"  She  is  no  older  than  Zillah  and  the  maidens 
of  the  wells,"  he  said  to  himself.  "  What  right  has 
she  —  "  And  then  he  looked  at  her  and  remem- 
bered that,  as  he  was  a  captive  and  she  his  owner, 
perforce  he  must  bend  his  will  to  hers,  and  he  said, 
humbly : 

"  Pardon  thy  slave,  O  daughter  of  the  great  priest. 
I  did  not  mean  to  meddle." 

But  Jezebel  would  not  be  conciliated;  she  could 
neither  forget  nor  forgive  that  the  offender  had 
succeeded  with  Moloch  when  she  failed,  and  she 
said,  tauntingly: 

,"  Had  the  dog  not  been  chained  thou  hadst  not 
dared  thus  to  treat  him,  thou  man  of  Israel." 

"  Unchain  him,  then,"  cried  Azalim,  with  a  care- 
less defiance  in  his  tone;  but,  as  he  spoke,  he  put 
himself  into  a  position  of  defence,  and  watched 
Moloch  with  a  wary  eye. 

Jezebel  ordered   one  of  the   servants   who  had 


36     asalim :  H  'Romance  ot  ®lt)  3\xl>ca 

followed  the  party  to  unchain  the  dog,  which  in- 
stantly leapt  at  the  throat  of  the  Hebrew  captive,  but 
Azalim,  well  on  his  guard,  as  rapidly  seized  with 
one  hand  the  metal  ring  around  the  brute's  neck,  to 
which  the  chain  was  fastened,  and,  throwing  down 
the  whip  he  held  in  the  other,  grasped  the  throat 
of  Moloch  until  his  eyes  started  from  his  head 
in  strangulation.  But  it  was  no  easy  task  to  hold 
him.  Tall  and  strong  as  Azalim  was,  the  great 
dog  stretched  above  his  shoulder.  Jezebel,  alarmed 
for  them  both,  called  to  her  servants  to  help  the 
herdsman,  and  they  rechained  the  creature  with  so 
short  a  tether  as  to  render  his  rage  harmless. 
Azalim,  regardless  of  Jezebel's  entreaties  and  threats, 
picked  up  the  whip  and  administered  a  chastisement 
to  Moloch  which  soon  reduced  him  to  abject  quie- 
tude. 

Then,  turning  to  Jezebel,  he  said,  bowing  almost 
to  the  ground  as  he  spoke :  "  Thy  slave  craves  thy 
I>ardon,  daughter  of  Ethbaal,  when  he  counsels  thee 
to  exact  fear,  not  love,  in  thy  treatment  of  this  child 
of  Beelzebub.  Hold  out  thy  hand,  I  pray  thee,  and 
I  will  hold  out  my  foot,  and  thou  shalt  see  upon 
whom  the  favour  of  this  spawn  of  Gehenna  will 
fall." 

"  I  do  not  believe  thee,"  retorted  Jezebel,  angrily. 


Bsalim  37 

"  There  is  no  living  being  Moloch  would  prefer  to 
me. 

Nevertheless,  she  held  out  the  hand  accustomed  to 
caress  her  favourite  fearlessly  near  his  mouth,  and 
Azalim  placed  his  bare  foot  a  little  behind  it. 
Servants  and  slaves  in  Syria  were  not  allowed  shoes 
or  sandals.  Without  a  moment's  hesitation  the 
dog  turned  his  head  away  from  the  hand  of  the 
woman  that  had  fondled  him,  and  licked  with  ef- 
fusive demonstration  the  naked  foot  of  the  man 
who  had  thrashed  and  kicked  him. 

Azalim  withdrew  his  foot  with  a  gesture  of  re- 
pulsion, and  dipped  it  into  a  marble  basin  where  a 
small  fountain  played.  Then,  wiping  the  dripping 
member  on  the  verdant  grass  around  the  fountain, 
he  turned  to  Jezebel. 

"  Lady,"  he  said,  "  thy  dog  has  fawned  on  the 
foot  that  kicked  it.  Beware,  lest  some  day  he  bites 
the  hand  that  fed  it." 

Before  Jezebel  could  reply  to  this  bold  speech, 
the  steward  Gehanan  appeared,  and,  making  a  low 
obeisance  before  Jezebel,  addressed  her  in  a  voice 
and  manner  of  the  deepest  grief. 

"  Daughter  of  Ethbaal,  thy  servant  casts  dust  on 
his  head  and  covers  his  face  in  trouble,  that  he 
has  been  unable  to  buy  this  Hebrew  slave  for  thee. 
The  merchant  either  deceived  me  or  was  himself 


38     Hsalim :  a  IRomance  ot  ©lb  5ut>ea 

deceived,  for  he  finds  that  he  sold  this  Israelite  to 
the  service  of  the  gods  before  I  purchased  him  on 
thy  behalf." 

Jezebel,  though  outwitted,  did  not  believe  a  word 
of  the  steward's  tale,  but  was  powerless  to  help 
herself.  If  a  prisoner  of  war  were  dedicated  to  the 
service  of  the  gods,  none  dared  even  offer  to  buy 
him.  Anger  and  disappointment  flamed  in  her  face, 
but  she  subdued  them  as  best  she  could.  "  When 
is  he  to  be  sent,  and  where  ?  "  she  inquired. 

"  At  once,  and  to  the  house  of  Rimmon,"  returned 
the  steward. 

Jezebel  turned  to  the  young  herdsman.  "  The 
gods  claim  thee,"  she  exclaimed,  "  and  I  dare  not 
interfere.  Yet  take  courage.  I  shall  often  worship 
in  the  house  of  Rimmon,  and  will  use  all  my  in- 
fluence to  promote  thy  interests.  Till  we  meet  again 
may  Baal  shine  upon  thee.  Thou  bright  and  beau- 
tiful star  of  the  morning,"  she  muttered  to  herself. 

Azalim  was  hurried  away  to  be  a  doorkeeper  in 
the  house  of  Rimmon.  What  mattered  to  him 
whether  he  served  a  rich  priest's  daughter  or  in  the 
heathen  temple?  He  was  a  prisoner  for  life  in  a 
strange  country,  and,  with  the  passionate  love  of 
kin  and  the  promised  land  which  distinguished  the 
Hebrews,  Azalim  rejected  all  thought  of  hope,  and, 
sinking  down   on  the   door-step  of   Rimmon,   he 


H3alim  39 

groaned:  "Ah,  Gilead,  is  there  no  balm,  no  phy- 
sician there  for  me?  Zillah,  my  promised  bride! 
Wilt  thou  never  call  me  husband?  Elijah,  my  lord, 
Elijah,  thou  prophet  of  the  most  High,  hath  thy 
God  revealed  to  thee  the  misery  of  thy  adopted 
son,  and  will  he  be  entreated  by  thee  for  me? 
Elijah,  Elijah !  "  and  with  this  name  upon  his  lips 
Azalim  sank  in  the  wretchedness  of  despair  upon  the 
floor  of  the  idol's  house,  and,  at  last,  in  a  merciful 
unconsciousness,  passed  the  long  hours  of  the  first 
night  of  his  captivity. 


CHAPTER    III. 

ELIJAH 

In  one  of  the  most  fertile  valleys  of  the  moun- 
tainous land  of  Gilead  dwelt  Ephraim  the  Tishbite, 
a  man  of  wealth,  with  many  flocks  and  herds,  cover- 
ing the  sunny  slopes  of  the  inheritance  of  his  fathers. 
He  had  silver  and  gold  also,  and  was  much  hon- 
oured by  his  people,  sitting  high  in  the  seat  of  the 
elders,  but  —  he  had  no  child. 

This  deprivation,  which  in  our  crowded  over- 
peopled days  is  often  borne  with  acquiescence,  some- 
times even  with  relief,  was  judged  the  direst  mis- 
fortune, almost  a  reproach,  three  thousand  years 
ago,  especially  among  the  children  of  Israel,  where 
each  woman  hoped  she  might  become  the  mother 
of  the  Messiah,  and  every  man  felt  his  life  would 
be  almost  worthless  unless  as  a  father  he  perpet- 
uated his  name  in  the  succeeding  generations. 

Ephraim  and  Hannah,  his  wife,  feared  the  Lord, 
and  had  ntver  joined  in  the  symbolic  idolatry  of  the 
golden  calf.    Doubtless  they  had,  in  the  earlier  days 

40 


Blilab  41 

of  their  marriage,  supplicated  for  the  blessing  of 
children,  but  as  the  years  since  their  wedding-feast 
passed  by,  and  their  prayers  were  unanswered,  they 
gave  up  all  hope  of  offspring,  and  bowed  themselves 
to  the  will  of  Jehovah,  when,  lo !  kinsfolk  and  friends 
were  summoned  to  rejoice  with  the  hitherto  child- 
less couple,  for  behold,  Hannah  had  borne  a  son  to 
her  husband. 

The  land  rang  with  the  fame  of  the  rejoicings 
at  the  circumcision  of  the  child,  and  the  parents 
expressed  their  intensity  of  thankfulness  by  calling 
him  after  the  name  of  the  great  Giver,  —  Elijah,  — 
which  signified,  in  reverent  interpretation,  God  — 
Jehovah. 

Time  passed,  and  the  child  grew  strangely  unlike 
other  children.  He  was  a  moody,  apparently  sullen 
boy,  self-willed  even  to  fierceness,  restive  under  the 
least  contradiction,  and  seemingly  not  to  be  won 
by  kindness.  His  parents,  who  had  resisted  the 
adoration  of  Jeroboam's  calf,  now  set  up  this  idol 
in  their  hearts,  and  worshipped  the  God-sent  gift 
they  had  so  passionately  desired. 

The  decree  went  forth  that  the  child,  then  the  lad, 
then  the  youth,  was  never  to  be  thwarted  in  his 
wishes  or  contradicted  in  his  will.  With  the  intense 
unselfishness  of  weak  maternity,  Hannah  fostered 
his  failings  and  pandered  to  his  wild  impulses,  and 


42     Hsalim :  H  IRomance  of  ®lt>  3uJ)ca 

Ephraim  too  willingly  seconded  her  folly.  Bom 
with  the  same  passions  as  his  fellows,  their  uncon- 
trolled indulgence  developed  into  acts  of  violence, 
which  long  ere  he  reached  manhood  made  him  a 
terror  to  all  around. 

About  this  time  his  mother  died,  but,  as  Hannah 
had  long  since  ceased  to  be  necessary  to  Elijah's 
comfort  or  interests,  her  death  caused  him  little  if 
any  grief.  Released  from  her  influence,  however, 
Ephraim's  eyes  became  opened  to  the  mistakes  of 
their  parental  rearing,  and  he  endeavoured  to  regain 
his  authority  and  control  his  son,  but  soon  perceived 
the  hopelessness  of  the  task  he  had  undertaken,  and 
gave  it  up. 

Then  the  father  offered  to  procure  a  wife  for  his 
son,  but  the  latter  roughly  answered  that  when  he 
wanted  a  wife  he  would  choose  one  for  himself. 
Ephraim  observed,  however,  with  satisfaction,  that 
Elijah  often  lingered  at  a  little  distance  from  the 
wells  where  the  maidens  drew  water  or  watered 
their  flocks. 

He  looked  little  likely  to  attract  a  maiden's  eye, 
this  rough,  rugged  young  man,  with  hair  on  cheek 
and  lip  like  the  mane  of  a  young  lion,  an  over- 
hanging, sullen  brow,  and  an  almost  ferocious  look 
and  manner,  yet  the  maidens  of  three  thousand  years 
ago  were  very  much  like  those  of  the  twentieth 


Blijab  43 

century,  and  the  only  son  of  the  rich  Ephraim  the 
Tishbite  was  an  object  of  great  interest  to  the  young 
womanhood  of  Gilead,  who  shot  many  a  beck  and 
nod  and  wreathed  smile  from  their  feminine  ar- 
moury at  Elijah,  But  either  from  shyness  or  in- 
difference he  did  not  respond  to  their  advances,  and 
they  called  him  a  bear  in  a  lion's  skin,  and  vented 
their  disappointment  in  many  other  angry  com- 
parisons. 

There  was  one  among  them  who  took  a  deeper 
interest  in  the  son  of  Ephraim  than  her  jesting 
companions.  Knowing  the  misfortune  which  his 
rearing  had  been,  she  felt  a  deep  pity  for  him.  Once 
on  the  hills  a  wolf  had  attacked  her  sheep  as  she 
was  driving  them  at  eve  to  their  fold,  and  Elijah 
heard  her  cries  and  shot  the  wolf  with  an  arrow 
from  his  bow;  another  time,  when  he  was  at  the 
well  where  she  was  drawing  water,  she  had  slung 
her  pitcher  from  her  shoulder  and  offered  it  to  him, 
with  the  usual  salutation,  "  Drink,  my  lord,"  but 
they  had  no  more  conversation  for  some  time  after- 
ward. 

It  happened,  however,  that  something  had  taken 
place  in  his  father's  house  which  had  greatly  dis- 
pleased Elijah,  and,  whether  rightly  or  wrongly, 
he  had  cast  the  blame  upon  Reuben,  who  had  been 
a  trusty  servant  to  Ephraim  before  Elijah's  birth; 


44     Hsaltm :  H  IRomance  ot  QU>  5udea 

he  had  been  Hke  a  second  father  to  the  child,  had 
carried  him  in  his  arms,  tended  him  in  sickness,  and 
loved  him  with  the  tenderness  of  a  mother.  In  a 
paroxysm  of  uncontrolled  passion,  Elijah  had  struck 
the  old  man  so  severely  that  he  had  fallen  sick  unto 
death,  more,  it  was  thought,  of  grief  at  the  ingrati- 
tude of  his  young  master  than  from  the  effects  of 
the  blow,  although  that  had  been  heavy.  Salome 
heard  of  this.  She  watched  her  opportunity,  and, 
when  she  met  Elijah,  she  said,  "  Elijah,  knowest 
thou  that  the  angel  of  death  is  busy  with  Reuben, 
and  that  if  he  dies  thou  wilt  be  his  murderer?" 

The  youth  did  not  answer  her,  but  a  sullen  frown 
gathered  on  his  brow.  He  was  not  used  to  such 
plain  speaking. 

"  Wouldst  thou  have  thy  brother's  blood  cry  from 
the  ground  against  thee?"  said  Salome,  waxing 
warm  at  his  evident  indifference. 

"  I  am  not  Reuben's  keeper,"  replied  Elijah, 
morosely. 

**  Thou  speakest  the  words  of  Cain,"  was  Salome's 
indignant  comment.  "  Darest  thou,  Elijah,  brave 
the  wrath  of  Jehovah  and  his  mark  upon  thy  fore- 
head?" 

A  further  lowering  of  the  brow,  an  angry  flash 
of  the  eye,  and  Elijah  turned  moodily  away  from 
her. 


Bltjab  45 

Salome  felt  she  had  failed,  and  had  a  painful 
consciousness  that  a  strange  fire  had  mixed  with 
her  zeal,  and  that  in  her  heat  she  had  spoken  unad- 
visedly. It  was  not  too  late  to  retrieve  her  error, 
Elijah  was  walking  slowly  away.  She  overtook 
him  and  gently  laid  her  hand  upon  his  arm. 

He  stopped  and  turned  around.  A  strange  thrill 
passed  through  him  at  the  contact  of  that  light 
pressure,  a  quicker  flow  of  his  life-blood  through 
the  veins,  as  if  a  new  yet  separate  life  had  entered 
into  them.  "  Elijah,"  she  almost  whispered,  as  gen- 
tly as  the  sigh  of  the  summer  breeze,  "  wilt  thou 
not  go  to  this  old  man  who  has  loved  thee  from  thy 
birth,  and  speak  the  kind  words  which  shall  give 
life  back  to  him  ?  " 

The  accusing  words  of  Salome  could  not  stir  this 
man  so  rugged  and  so  hard,  but  the  slight  loving 
touch,  the  gentle  speech,  melted  him,  as  the  sun 
in  his  strength  thaws  the  ice  over  the  frozen  river. 
He  did  not  speak,  only  looked  at  her,  and,  as  their 
eyes  met,  Salome  knew  that  she  had  not  again 
failed. 

She  slipped  her  hand  within  his,  and  thus  they 
walked  in  silent  clasp  to  the  door  of  Reuben's  sick- 
chamber,  and  there  Salome  left  him. 

The  next  day  Elijah  said  to  his  father,  "  Get  me 
Salome,  the  kinswoman  of  Asher,  to  wife,"  and, 


46     a3altm :  H  "Romance  of  ©l&  5u&ea 

overjoyed  at  the  proposal,  Ephraim  at  once  fulfilled 
the  request. 

Salome  had  neither  father  nor  mother,  and,  with 
a  little  brother  many  years  younger  than  herself, 
was  dependent  upon  her  father's  brother  for  mainte- 
nance. Dependency  is  not  a  happy  lot  and  is  rarely 
improving  to  the  character,  but  Salome's  nature  was 
of  so  fine  and  firm  a  fibre  as  to  resist  the  deteriorat- 
ing influence  of  adverse  circumstances,  and  she  grew 
as  lovely  in  disposition  as  in  person.  Her  young 
brother,  Azalim,  supplied  her  heart  with  love  and 
gave  an  object  to  her  life.  With  her  rare  beauty, 
marriage  was  a  certainty  in  the  future,  but  Salome 
had  dreaded  the  tie  which  would  be,  after  the  cus- 
tom, a  mere  barter  of  her  youth  and  fair  comeliness, 
until  Elijah  came  across  her  path. 

The  wedding-feast  might  have  graced  a  royal 
marriage,  and,  when  Elijah  took  his  bride  and  young 
Azalim  to  his  father's  house,  Ephraim  blessed  the 
day  that  his  daughter-in-law  came  to  him.  The 
old  man  did  not  long  enjoy  his  happiness.  Before 
three  months  had  gone  by  he  was  gathered  to  his 
fathers,  and  Elijah  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead. 

The  granite  rock  of  Elijah's  nature  had,  as  it 
were,  been  cloven  asunder  by  the  softening  influence 
of  Salome,  and  Elijah  became  as  honoured  in  Israel 
as  he  had  hitherto  been  disliked  and  despised.    The 


Blijab  47 

couple  dwelt  among  their  own  people,  fearing  the 
Lord  and  abjuring  the  idolatry  of  the  golden  calves, 
and  all  went  well  with  them  until  the  year  of  their 
marriage  was  drawing  to  a  close. 

One  day  it  happened  that  Elijah  started  at  earliest 
dawn  on  a  necessary  journey,  and  Salome  stood  at 
the  door  to  see  him  depart.  He  looked  around  as 
he  was  mounting  his  ass  to  see  his  wife's  face  pale 
w4th  emotion  and  tears  falling  from  her  eyes.  He 
came  back,  embraced  her  tenderly,  and  asked  why 
she  wept. 

"  The  Lord  God  of  thy  fathers  bless  and  keep  thee 
from  henceforth,"  she  answered,  solemnly,  "  Elijah, 
thou  and  I  will  never  meet  again  in  life." 

"  Then  I  will  not  leave  thee  now,  beloved,"  he 
said.     "  There  is  no  need." 

"  Nay,  but  thou  must  depart,"  she  answered, 
sadly.  "  Our  parting  will  not  be  averted  by  thy 
presence.  A  spirit  of  prophecy  has  come  upon  me, 
my  husband,  which  tells  me  that  it  is  the  will  of 
Jehovah  we  should  part,  because  the  rending  asunder 
of  our  lives  will  give  thee  a  high  place  in  his  ser- 
vice." 

"  Salome,  desire  of  my  eyes  and  beloved  of  my 
soul,  speak  not  thus,"  returned  Elijah,  in  a  tone  of 
deep  distress.  "  Surely  Jehovah  would  have  re- 
vealed such  important  events  to  the  strong  husband 


4S     Hsalim :  B  IRomance  ot  Ql^  5udea 

instead  of  to  so  frail  a  flower  as  thou  art.  'Tis  a 
question  of  thy  present  health's  weakness,  not  of 
prophecy;  I  will  not  leave  thee." 

"  It  may  be  so,"  she  assented,  "  and  thou  must 
not  delay  thy  business  for  my  foolish  fears.  By 
evening  thou  wilt  be  back  again,  husband  of  my  love, 
and  we  can  mock  together  at  my  evil  dream." 
Elijah  set  forth  reluctantly,  for  a  weight  of  evil 
presentiment  had  likewise  fallen  upon  himself,  but, 
strange  as  it  may  seem,  Salome  urged  his  departure. 

The  long  day  wore  away.  Elijah  completed  the 
affairs  in  hand  and  turned  towards  home  with  all 
speed,  for  an  anxious  misgiving  was  working  within 
him.  He  reached  the  brow  of  the  hill  which  over- 
looked his  house.  "  O  God  of  my  fathers,"  he 
cried,  "  what  is  this  ?  " 

Smoke  was  issuing  from  the  doors  and  windows 
of  his  home;  the  solid  stone  walls  had  withstood 
the  fire,  but  the  slighter  outbuildings  around  smoul- 
dered in  ruins,  and  he  saw  the  signs  of  robbery, 
destruction,  and  flight  all  around.  No  need  of  an 
explanation.  The  Syrian  bands  had  made  a  raid 
upon  Israel,  and  his  home  was  a  part  of  their  spoil. 

The  ass  he  rode  was  as  strong  and  swift  as  a 
horse.  He  made  it  fly  rather  than  gallop  down  the 
slope,  flung  himself  from  the  saddle,  and  there,  on 
the  ground  in  the  garden,  Salome  lay  lifeless  with 


£Ujab  49 

a  wound  in  her  breast  from  which  the  blood  had 
ceased  to  flow.  Elijah  rent  his  garment,  cast  dust 
upon  his  head,  and  uttered  a  loud  and  exceedingly 
bitter  cry. 

When  the  days  of  the  mourning  for  his  wife 
were  finished,  Elijah  appointed  a  steward  to  admin- 
ister his  affairs,  collected  the  silver  and  gold  left  by 
his  father,  and  gathered  together  a  company  of  fight- 
ing men  to  avenge  his  wrongs  on  the  Syrians.  So 
effectually  did  he  carry  out  his  purpose  that  his 
bands  became  the  terror  of  the  enemy's  frontier, 
but  at  last  the  King  of  Syria  sent  so  strong  a  force 
against  him  that  his  men  were  either  slain  or  scat- 
tered, and  Elijah  himself  was  taken  prisoner  and 
thrown  into  a  dungeon. 

He  escaped  from  imprisonment  and  went  to  Sa- 
maria, where,  at  the  time,  all  was  confusion  in  the 
government  of  Israel,  the  throne  being  at  the  mercy 
of  a  succession  of  usurpers.  Here  he  obtained  much 
distinction,  and  in  the  disordered  state  of  affairs  he 
might  have  succeeded  in  becoming  a  temporary  king 
himself,  had  not  all  his  efforts  been  devoted  to 
bringing  about  a  war  against  Syria.  At  last  he 
obtained  from  the  present  king  a  proposal  for  a 
league  with  the  neighbouring  rulers  against  S)rria, 
and  departed  with  an  escort  to  carry  out  the  negotia- 
tions.   On  the  road  they  encountered  a  terrific  storm 


so     asalim :  H  IRomance  ot  ®lt)  5ut)ca 

of  thunder  and  lightning,  and  the  man  next  in 
authority  to  EHjah  was  struck  dead.  When  prepar- 
ing him  for  burial  a  document  was  found  concealed 
on  his  breast  disclosing  secret  instructions  to  the 
King  of  Syria  to  waylay  and  seize  Elijah.  The 
discovery  of  this  treachery  was  a  terrible  blow  to 
Elijah,  who  at  once  gave  up  all  further  communica- 
tion with  the  King  of  Israel.  Leaving  his  escort,  he 
set  out  alone  for  a  friend's  house. 

On  the  last  night  of  his  journey,  overtaken  by 
fatigue,  he  lay  down  to  rest  and  fell  asleep.  The 
moon's  baleful  beams  fell  full  upon  his  face,  and 
when  he  awoke  it  was  into  outer  darkness,  for  he 
had  been  smitten  with  blindness.  He  was  found, 
recognized,  and  taken  to  the  house  of  his  nearest 
kinsman,  Phanuel,  where  he  remained  carefully 
tended  until  his  restoration. 

His  first  act  on  his  recovery  was  to  present  the 
young  lad  Azalim,  his  wife's  brother,  to  Phanuel, 
and  say,  "  Kinsman,  thou  art  the  next  of  kin  to 
the  inheritance  of  my  fathers.  Had  Salome  lived 
to  give  me  a  son  he  would  in  turn  have  possessed 
it.  But  now  no  wife  will  call  me  husband,  no  child 
will  belong  to  me.  Therefore  I  charge  thee  that 
this  youth  Azalim,  the  brother  of  my  Salome,  take 
the  place  of  her  child  by  sharing  with  thy  own 
children  the  inheritance  to  which  thou  wilt  succeed. 


Blilab  S' 

Treat  him  as  my  adopted  son.  Let  him  not  live 
in  idleness,  but  entrust  him  with  thy  flocks  and  herds, 
for  which  he  is  apt,  and  be  to  him  as  a  second  father. 
Swear,  now,  by  the  God  of  Israel,  that  thou  wilt 
fulfil  this,  my  request,  and  the  Lord  do  so  to  thee 
and  more  also  if  thou  fail  in  thy  oath." 

It  is  needless  to  add  that  Phanuel  took  the  oath, 
and  pleasant  to  record  that  he  kept  it  in  the  letter  and 
the  spirit.  Azalim  was  regarded  as  his  son,  and 
when  he  was  taken  captive,  it  was,  as  we  know,  on 
the  eve  of  his  marriage  with  Zillah,  Phanuel's 
daughter,  and  the  captured  cattle  were  his  wed- 
ding-gift. 

The  next  act  of  Elijah  was  to  establish  Phanuel 
as  the  present  occupant  and  future  heir  of  his  land, 
his  cattle  and  his  substance,  and  having  thus  settled 
his  affairs  of  earth,  he  joined  the  schools  of  the 
prophets,  and  enrolled  himself  to  be  henceforth  a 
servant  of  the  Lord. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

THE      HOUSE       OF     RIMMON 

There  was  but  one  temple  in  Syria,  —  that  of 
Baalbec,  the  mighty  immensity  dedicated  to  Baal, 
the  supreme  sun-god;  all  the  other  places  of  wor- 
ship were  called  houses. 

The  gods  of  the  heathen  were  not  jealous  gods. 
They  were  quite  willing  to  share  their  honours  with 
other  deities.  The  house  of  Rimmon,  to  which 
Azalim  was  appointed,  was  the  most  liberal,  in  this 
respect,  in  Damascus.  It  was,  in  fact,  a  Pantheon 
of  the  gods,  containing  altars  dedicated  to  all  the 
most  popular  Syrian  divinities,  whose  priests  assisted 
in  the  prayers  and  received  the  offerings  of  the  dev- 
otees. It  was  also  the  house  most  favoured  by  the 
king  and  his  court,  and  where  royalty  goes  loyalty 
is  sure  to  follow.  The  house  of  Rimmon  was  conse- 
quently the  resort  of  the  great  and  rich  people  of 
Damascus,  who,  as  if  by  general  consent,  converted 
it  into  a  crowded  place  of  favourite  resort. 

Ethbaal's  daughter,  true  to  the  god  of  her  father, 
52 


Ube  f)ouse  ot  iRimmon  S3 

had  seldom  visited  the  house  of  Rimmon,  but  after 
the  young  Hebrew  captive  became  attached  to  its 
service,  a  change  came  over  this  indifference.  She 
had  been  attracted  by  his  uncommon  comeliness  in 
the  slave-market,  captivated  by  his  display  of 
strength  and  skill  with  the  bull,  and  his  value  had 
been  further  increased  in  her  eyes  by  the  disappoint- 
ment in  securing  him  for  her  household,  and  his 
cold  lack  of  appreciation  of  her  beauty  and  position. 
She  could  not  banish  his  image  from  her  thoughts, 
and  it  troubled  her  to  discover  that  she  never  before 
had  been  moved  like  this  by  her  many  would-be 
adorers  among  the  youth  of  Damascus. 

We  must  not  measure  this  love  of  Jezebel  by  our 
own  code  of  unwritten  social  laws.  In  modem 
civilization  the  inclination  of  the  daughter  of  the 
greatest  man  in  her  country  for  a  herdsman  of  the 
wilds  would  be  a  mesalliance  almost  as  impossible 
as  it  would  be  judged  disgraceful.  But  other  times, 
other  manners.  There  was  no  sliding  social  scale 
in  the  East  three  thousand  years  ago  between  the 
millionaire  and  the  beggar,  the  aristocrat  and  the 
plebeian. 

After  a  few  days  of  sullen  despair  Azalim  almost 
unconsciously  began  to  regain,  if  not  hope,  at  least 
a  measure  of  resignation  akin  to  cheerfulness.  Given 
youth  and  health  and  the  necessities  of  life,  it  is  not 


54     Hsalim :  H  IRomance  ot  ©l&  ^ubea 

natural  to  continue  altogether  moody  and  disconso- 
late, especially  when  one's  surroundings  are  full  of 
excitement  and  interest.  Azalim  had  for  companion 
slaves  captives  like  himself;  he  was  well  fed  and 
clothed,  and  the  house  of  Rimmon  was  always  more 
or  less  full  of  devotees,  generally  the  richest  and  gay- 
est of  the  population,  and  the  forms  of  worship  were 
as  varied  and  entertaining  as  the  scenes  in  a  theatre. 
Before  long  he  became  almost  reconciled  to  the  situa- 
tion, and  the  hills  and  mountains  of  Gilead  and  the 
people  and  events  of  his  past  life  gradually  became 
half  forgotten. 

But  one  image  was  never  laid  aside,  one  thought 
was  ever  with  him.  Zillah,  the  love  of  his  youth, 
who  should  have  been  the  bride  of  his  manhood,  the 
wife,  as  he  had  hoped,  of  his  old  age, was  ever  before 
his  eyes,  filling  his  heart  so  completely  that  there  was 
not  one  spare  space  in  which  the  snares  and  blan- 
dishments of  Jezebel  could  find  footing. 

The  daughter  of  Ethbaal  became  a  constant  at- 
tendant at  the  house  of  Rimmon.  The  eunuch's 
watchful  eye  noticed  this  new  phase  of  devotion,  and 
readily  divined  its  cause,  but  he  dared  not  interfere 
with  the  worship  of  the  gods,  and  only  ventured 
to  arrange  that  his  young  mistress  should  always 
be  fully  attended.  Jezebel,  therefore,  appeared  with 
her  Nubians  waving  their  fans,  two  or  three  of  her 


XTbe  fjouse  of  IRfmmon  ss 

maidens  behind,  and  the  same  number  of  Gehanan's 
eunuchs  bringing  up  the  rear,  whilst  their  mistress, 
painted,  jewelled,  and  attired  in  her  richest  stuffs, 
paraded  the  house  of  Rimmon.  It  was  not  from  fear 
of  a  mesalliance  that  Gehanan  guarded  Jezebel  so 
watchfully,  for  the  herdsman  of  to-day  might  be  the 
man  whom  the  king  delighted  to  honour  to-morrow, 
but  for  the  reason  that  Ethbaal  had  other  views  for 
his  daughter. 

It  was  a  rule  in  this  place  for  no  worshipper  to 
approach  the  altar  alone,  but  to  advance  in  couples, 
the  one  leaning  on  the  arm  of  the  other,  and  it  was 
not  unusual  to  select  one  of  the  doorkeepers  for  this 
duality,  therefore  no  exception  was  taken  to  Jezebel's 
choice  of  the  young  Israelite,  for  whom  as  well  as  for 
herself  she  laid  offerings  on  Rimmon's  high  altar, 
whilst  the  priests  hastily  gabbled  the  prayers  of  ac- 
ceptance and  reward.  Then  in  great  state,  followed 
by  her  train,  she  would  make  the  circuit  of  the  altars 
with  Azalim  by  her  side,  genuflexing  at  every  shrine 
and  giving  an  ejaculation  of  praise  to  each.  Azalim 
refused  even  to  bend  to  the  idols,  and  his  devout  and 
amourous  companion  was  careful  not  to  notice  the 
omission.  The  young  Hebrew  was  rallied  by  his 
fellow  slaves  about  the  fair  maiden's  favour.  He 
admitted  her  beauty  and  acknowledged  the  honour 


$6     asalim :  H  IRomance  of  ®lt)  Ju&ea 

accorded  him,  but  plainly  showed  that  the  subject 
was  distasteful,  and  it  was  soon  dropped. 

By  no  means  baffled  by  this  persistent  coldness, 
Jezebel  changed  her  tactics.  For  some  years,  almost 
from  her  childhood,  Ethbaal's  daughter  had  longed 
to  study  witchcraft.  To  hold  intercourse  with  the 
powers  of  darkness,  to  commune  with  a  familiar 
spirit  ever  at  her  call,  and  ready  with  his  counsel, 
had  been  the  highest  dream  of  her  ambition,  but  all 
attempts  in  that  direction  had  been  sternly  repressed 
by  the  high  priest.  No  man  knew  better  than  he  the 
secrets  of  the  awful  brotherhood,  and  he  resolved 
that  the  daughter  of  the  woman  he  had  so  deeply 
loved  and  long  lamented  should  be  kept  clear  of  its 
deadly  influence.  Nevertheless,  Jezebel  determined 
that  if  ever  she  were  her  own  mistress  the  demons 
of  the  occult  world  should  be  her  real  gods. 

The  spiritualism  of  the  present  day  —  that  is, 
the  belief  that  the  world  of  spirits  can  hold  com- 
munication with  humanity  through  the  medium  of 
the  senses  —  was  an  indisputable  fact  three  thousand 
years  ago,  and  the  witch  and  the  wizard  exercised 
the  black  art  with  all  the  subtlety  of  a  magic  taught 
them  by  an  intelligence  infinitely  higher  than  their 
own. 

"  All  comes  to  those  who  wait,"  and  Jezebel 
eagerly  seized  .the  opportunity  of  communicating 


XCbe  tJouse  of  IRimmon  S7 

with  a  witch,  by  procuring  a  love  philtre  to  soften 
the  obdurate  heart  of  the  young  Hebrew,  for  slighted 
vanity  had  increased  the  spark  of  her  passing  fancy 
into  a  flame  of  passionate  love. 

The  witch  of  the  highest  reputation  in  Damascus 
was  attached  to  the  house  of  Baal,  and  hither  Jezebel 
sent  one  of  her  maidens  for  the  draught. 

The  service  of  the  gods  was  not  a  hard  one,  and 
the  slaves  were  allowed  the  noonday  rest  which  is 
so  grateful  a  necessity  in  hot  climates.  Each  one 
wore  a  bracelet  and  anklet  attached  to  a  chain  fixed 
in  the  wall  when  he  lay  down  on  the  mat  prepared 
for  him,  and  meat,  water,  cooling  drinks,  or  even 
wine  if  preferred,  were  placed  within  his  reach. 

Azalim  had  been  powerless  to  prevent  the  shearing 
of  his  Nazarite  locks,  but  he  had  resolutely  kept  his 
vow  of  abstinence  from  wine  or  strong  drink,  and 
only  water  was  provided  for  him ;  into  this  the  at- 
tendant was  bribed  to  cast  and  dissolve  the  tasteless 
powder  which  was  to  inspire  love  for  Ethbaal's 
daughter  in  the  cold  heart  of  the  Israelite. 

There  was  no  mishap  in  the  matter.  The  day  was 
hot  and  Azalim  thirsty,  and  to  the  last  drop  he 
drained  the  cool  liquid. 

Full  of  excitement  and  hope,  Jezebel  attended  one 
of  the  earliest  services  at  the  house  of  Rimmon,  and 
summoned  the  captive  slave  to  support  her  devo- 


58     asalim :  H  IRomance  of  ©lb  5ut)ea 

tions,  but,  to  her  anger  and  surprise,  he  preserved 
the  same  cool  self-command  and  the  like  respectful 
indifference  in  his  demeanour  toward  her  as  before. 

In  an  access  of  rage  she  returned  home,  and  in 
her  wrath  actually  took  out  her  little  jade  image 
which  assisted  her  prayers,  and  reproached  and 
struck  it.  Then  swathed  and  veiled  beyond  recog- 
nition she  directed  her  camel-driver  to  take  her  to 
the  house  of  Baal. 

The  worship  of  the  gods  was  above  ground.  The 
brother  rites  of  the  demons  were  below.  Jezebel, 
with  a  slight  flutter  at  her  heart,  presented  herself 
at  the  portico  of  the  spirits,  paid  her  entrance,  and 
descended  the  stairs. 

Through  dark  passages  and  under  heavy  arches 
she  followed  her  giiide,  and  then  she  was  left  alone 
in  an  enclosure  lighted  only  by  a  dim  lamp  shaped 
like  a  star,  where  she  awaited  an  audience  with  the 
best  patience  at  her  command. 

She  was  brave  to  foolhardiness,  this  strange  young 
woman,  yet  she  had  a  woman's  thin  nerves  and 
more  or  less  sensitive  nature,  and  she  soon  became 
conscious  of  a  lazy  stir  and  slow  movement  around 
which  gave  her  a  creeping,  crawling  sensation.  As 
her  sight  grew  accustomed  to  the  gloom,  she  per- 
ceived in  a  comer  a  gaunt  scavenger  mother-dog 
of  huge  size,  suckling  a  litter  of  ill-formed  pups,  and 


Ubc  Ibouse  ot  IRimmon  S9 

from  a  basket  almost  at  her  feet  a  snake  raised  its 
head  from  the  coils,  gave  a  feeble  hiss,  and  relapsed 
again  upon  them.  A  huge  toad,  bloated  and  spotted, 
crept  under  the  swathings  of  her  attire  as  it  fed 
beside  her  stool,  and  unclean,  loathsome  creatures 
crawled  upon  the  walls  and  hung  from  the  ceilings. 

Jezebel  was  summoning  all  her  self-control  to 
suppress  a  scream  when  a  woman  entered,  turned 
up  the  lamp,  thus  lending  more  distinctness  to  the 
place,  and  inquired  the  business  of  the  visitor.  The 
newcomer,  although  nearly  a  decade  older  than 
Jezebel,  was  still  young,  some  seven  and  twenty  per- 
haps, and,  while  not  to  be  compared  to  the  priest's 
daughter  in  beauty,  was  by  no  means  deficient  in 
personal  gifts. 

"  Thou  art  not  Neroa,"  observed  Jezebel,  who 
knew  that  the  renowned  witch  was  old  and  of  a  far 
different  appearance,  "  and  my  business  is  with  her." 

"  I  am  her  daughter,  Neroa  the  younger,  and 
belong  like  my  mother  to  the  brotherhood  of  the 
spirits.  I  act  for  her  in  all  but  the  most  important 
matters.  If  thou  wilt  tell  me  thy  business,  I  can 
then  judge  if  it  is  out  of  my  sphere." 

Jezebel  with  much  warmth  explained  the  failure 
of  the  philtre. 

"  Will  it  please  thee,  lady,  to  give  me  thy  name 
and  that  of  thy  desired  lover,"  demanded  the  young 


6o     H3alim :  H  IRomance  ot  ®l&  5u&ea 

maiden,  courteously.  Jezebel  hesitated.  It  would 
be  dangerous  for  her  father  to  discover  her  action. 

"  It  does  not  matter,  I  need  not  trouble  thee," 
observed  the  other,  carelessly.  "  Lulu !  "  she  con- 
tinued, sharply,  and  at  the  call  a  sleek  leopard-like 
creature,  black  as  jet  and  at  least  twice  the  size  of 
our  largest  domestic  cats,  who  had  followed  the 
young  witch  unobserved  by  Jezebel,  leapt  forward, 
and  as  its  mistress  seated  herself  at  a  table,  sprang 
upon  it,  and  placing  his  head  close  to  hers  began 
rubbing  and  fondling  her  after  the  manner  of  feline 
creatures  coaxing  for  food.  It  seemed  to  the  spec- 
tator only  a  few  moments  before  the  young  witch 
rose,  ordered  the  great  cat  down  and  calmly  re- 
marked : 

"  Daughter  of  Ethbaal,  if  thou  hadst  been  wise 
enough  to  tell  us  thy  real  name  and  that  of  thy 
friend  when  thou  didst  send  for  the  philtre  of  love, 
thou  wouldst  not  have  lost  thy  money  nor  wouldst 
the  draught  have  failed  in  potency.  His  heart  is 
filled  with  another  image,  and  on  such  our  charms 
have  no  power." 

"  Witch,"  cried  the  astonished  visitor,  "  how 
earnest  thou  to  know  all  this  in  a  moment  of  time  ?  " 

"  I  have  entered  as  servant  the  brotherhood  of 
the  spirits,"  replied  the  witch,  "  and  this,"  pointing 
to  the  leopard,  "  is  my  familiar." 


Ube  t)ouse  of  IRimmon  6i 

Jezebel  put  her  hand  under  her  swathings  and 
drew  from  her  arm  a  gemmed  bracelet  which  she 
held  up  before  the  witch,  whose  eyes  glistened  at  its 
beauty. 

"  I  will  give  thee  this,"  said  Jezebel,  "  if  thou  wilt 
tell  me  the  name  of  the  woman  who  stands  in  my 
way,  and  many  another  jewel  of  silver  and  gold  if 
thou  wilt  teach  me  how  to  supplant  her,  or  better 
still,"  she  added,  "  name  thy  price  and  I  will  give 
it  to  thee  for  the  loan  of  thy  familiar  for  a  single 
week." 

"  The  latter  desire  of  thine,  daughter  of  Ethbaal, 
is  impossible.  The  demon  spirits  are  not  trans- 
ferable, nor  do  they  always  work  human  desire  at 
human  will,  but  give  me  that  jewel  and  I  will  coun- 
sel thee.  Promise  thy  hoped-for  lover  his  freedom. 
Draw  him  out  to  tell  thee  why  he  longs  for  it,  and  if 
the  name  of  his  beloved  is  revealed  in  his  confidence, 
come  again  to  me,  and  now,"  holding  out  her  hand 
for  the  ornament  as  she  spoke,  "  depart  in  peace." 

That  very  evening  there  was  a  grand  function 
in  the  house  of  Rimmon,  and  under  cover  of  the  cere- 
monies, Jezebel,  pretending  fatigue,  requested  as 
before  the  company  and  protection  of  Azalim  in  the 
portico  until  her  camel  and  servants  arrived. 

"  I  am  glad  for  this  occasion  to  tell  thee,  O  son 
of  Israel,"  she  said,  "that  my  influence  with  the 


62      Bsalim:  H  IRomancc  of  ®l&  3u&ca 

priests  of  Rimmon  and  the  captain  who  sold  thee 
is  so  great  that  I  am  Hkely  to  obtain  thy  liberty,  and 
before  long  thou  mayest  look  forward  to  returning 
to  Gilead." 

Azalim  sprang  from  the  ground  with  a  great  cry 
of  joy,  and  then  falling  at  Jezebel's  feet  he  kissed  the 
hem  of  her  garment,  exclaiming,  "  May  the  Lord 
God  of  Israel  bless  thee  now  and  for  evermore  for 
this  thy  kindness  to  the  slave  and  the  stranger." 

"  Is  thy  heart  so  bound  up  in  the  land  of  thy 
fathers  ?  "     inquired  she. 

"  Yes,  lady,  the  land  of  our  birth  is  the  land  of 
our  life,  and  to  me  it  is  even  more.  It  is  the  country 
of  my  own  people,  of  my  guide  and  adopted  father, 
—  a  great  prophet  of  Jehovah.  It  is  the  Gilead 
where  I  was  to  own  pasturage  and  flocks  and  herds, 
and  be  a  prince  and  elder  of  my  race,  and,  above  all, 
it  is  the  land  of  Zillah,  my  love,  my  promised  bride 
who  is  waiting  and  sorrowing  for  my  return,  and  of 
whom  I  think  with  my  first  waking  thoughts  at 
mom  and  dream  of  at  night." 

The  face  of  Jezebel  darkened  in  an  evil  expression 
not  good  to  see  at  this  rhapsody,  but  she  turned  it 
away  and  managed  to  say,  indifferently,  "  I  hope  she 
is  worthy  of  thy  love;  I  suppose  she  is  at  least 
beautiful." 

"  There  is  not  a  maiden  in  Syria  that  could  hold 


Ube  "fcouse  ot  IRimmon  63 

a  torch  to  her  loveliness,"  answered  the  infatuated 
and  imprudent  young  man.  "  Nay,  she  is  the  fairest 
blossom  that  has  ever  budded  on  either  side  of  the 
Jordan  and  —  " 

Jezebel  laughed.  It  was  not  a  pleasant  laugh 
and  it  arrested  his  attention  and  stopped  any  further 
flowery  speech,  but  her  face  was  turned  away,  and 
she  rose  and  said :  "  Well,  Israelite,  I  will  see  what 
can  be  done  to  restore  thee  to  this  wonderful  love  of 
thine,  but  now  go  and  see  if  my  people  are  arriving, 
for  I  am  somewhat  ill  and  shall  be  better  at  home." 

The  next  day  Jezebel  visited  the  young  witch, 
Neroa's  daughter,  and  the  following  scheme  was  the 
result  of  the  conference. 

A  diligent  search  was  set  on  foot  among  the 
Israelite  captives  of  the  Syrian  raids  for  some  one 
from  the  neighbourhood  of  Azalim's  home;  and  it 
was  not  long  before  they  succeeded  in  finding  a  tool 
fit  for  their  purpose.  With  promises  of  freedom 
and  present  gifts  of  money,  they  obtained  all  the 
information  they  required  of  his  former  life  and 
connections  to  concoct  a  story  which  the  young 
man  agreed  to  relate  as  truth  to  his  compatriot, 
and  for  which  purpose  he  was  entered  as  a  door- 
keeper in  the  house  of  Rimmon. 

When  Azalim  saw  Issachar,  with  whom  he  had 


64     Hsalim :  H  IRomance  ot  ^l^  5ut)ea 

been  acquainted  in  Gilead,  installed  as  a  fellow  slave 
in  the  idol's  house,  his  joy  was  great.  He  rushed 
forward,  embraced  the  newcomer,  and  cried, 
"  Blessed  be  thou  who  comest  as  a  gift  from  the 
Lord,  oh,  my  friend ;  as  water  springs  in  the  desert, 
as  the  shadow  of  a  great  rock  in  a  shadeless  land, 
is  the  sight  of  thee  to  my  eyes,  thy  voice  to  my 
ears." 

In  his  outward  confusion  and  inward  shame 
Issachar  responded  but  coldly  to  this  effusive  recep- 
tion by  his  friend. 

"  And  now,"  continued  the  latter,  regaining  his 
self-control,  "  tell  me  the  tidings  of  Gilead.  Is 
Phanuel,  the  old  man,  well ;  and  who  now  guides  the 
herds  on  the  hills  and  valleys  ?  " 

"  Phanuel  is  well,"  returned  the  other,  "  and  his 
servants  manage  the  cattle  as  best  they  can." 

"  Hast  thou  no  tidings  to  tell  me  of  our  people 
and  —  and  —  of  Zillah  —  is  she  well  ?  Speak,  Issa- 
char, thou  knowest  she  was  to  be  my  bride.  Doth 
she  not  grieve  for  me?  " 

"  There  is  but  little  new  to  tell,"  said  Issachar, 
evasively.  "  A  few  of  the  young  are  married,  some 
of  the  old  have  died,  and  the  Syrian  bands  have 
ravaged  our  houses  and  killed  our  children  as  usual, 
and  — *' 


Ube  t)Ottse  ot  IRimmon  65 

"  I  questioned  of  Zillah,"  interrupted  Azalim, 
impatiently.     "  Is  she  well  ?  " 

"  She  is  well." 

"And  —  and  —  happy?  I  mean  not  too  un- 
happy ?  " 

"  She  is  happy,"  replied  Issachar,  shortly. 

Azalim  started  as  if  he  had  been  struck. 

"  Happy,"  he  repeated,  "  happy?  What  canst  thou 
mean  ?  " 

"  Son  of  Israel,"  exclaimed  Issachar,  who  now 
felt  repentant  of  the  task  he  had  undertaken,  seeing 
as  he  did  its  effect  on  his  friend,  "  what  the  ear  doth 
not  hear  and  the  eye  doth  not  see,  the  heart  doth  not 
sorrow  for.  Ask  no  further  questions  about  Zillah, 
is  my  counsel  as  thy  friend." 

"  But  I  will  ask,  and  I  adjure  thee  in  the  name  of 
the  God  of  Abraham  to  tell  me  the  truth." 

**  If  thou  wilt,  thou  must ! "  retorted  Issachar. 
"  Hear  then,  Zillah  is  the  wife  of  another  man." 

"Thou  liest,  thou  son  of  Belial,"  cried  Azalim 
in  a  paroxysm  of  rage. 

"  Wait  a  space  and  I  will  bring  another  to  confirm 
the  words  thou  hast  forced  me  to  speak,"  said  Issa- 
char, who  left  the  house  of  the  gods  ais  he  spoke,  and 
going  into  the  street,  fetched  a  witness  ready  pre- 
pared for  the  occasion. 

This  was  an  old  Ishmaelite,  a  peddler,  who  trav- 


66      asalim :  H  IRomance  of  ®l^  5u&ea 

ersed  the  country  of  Syria  and  Gilead  with  goods. 
Azalim  knew  him  well  by  sight,  as  he  sold  trinkets 
and  stuffs  to  the  women  of  the  villages  near 
Phanuel's  house.  He  confirmed  the  evil  news  told 
by  Issachar,  with  the  further  particulars  that  when 
Phanuel  had  heard  that  his  intended  son-in-law  was 
a  prisoner  in  Damascus,  he  had  given  his  daughter 
to  old  Isaac,  the  richest  man,  next  to  Phanuel,  in  that 
region  of  Gilead,  who  had  long  coveted  the  lovely 
daughter  of  the  latter  for  his  wife. 

"  Oh,  Zillah,  my  beloved,"  moaned  Azalim,  "  and 
thou  hast  been  thus  cruelly  sacrificed." 

"  Nay,  she  was  a  willing  bride,"  said  the  old 
peddler.  "  She  wept  thy  absence  at  first,  O  Gilead- 
ite,  but  when  she  found  thou  wouldst  never  return, 
she  felt  it  a  duty  to  obey  her  father  and  become,  as 
it  is  meet,  a  wife  and  mother  in  Israel." 

Azalim  could  no  longer  doubt.  He  could  have 
no  reason  to  suspect  these  men  lied  to  him.  They 
were  in  the  portico  of  the  house,  and  he  leaned 
against  one  of  its  pillars  as  motionless  and  white 
as  though  he  were  cut  out  of  the  same  marble. 

"  Do  not  grieve,"  said  Issachar,  gently,  touching 
Azalim's  shoulder.  "  Fair  as  Zillah  is,  she  is  not 
worth  it.  No  woman  is.  Turn  to  another,"  and  he 
pointed  to  the  women  who  haunted  the  house. 

Azalim  shook  his  head.    His  heart  was  too  full 


Ube  tJouse  ot  IRimmon  67 

for  him  to  speak.  He  was  too  utterly  crushed  by 
this  sudden  blow  to  yet  measure  his  suffering-.  Like 
Joseph,  he  sought  where  to  weep,  but  unlike  Joseph, 
he  had  no  chamber  of  retreat.  The  slaves  of  Rim- 
mon  were  never  alone. 


CHAPTER  V. 

FLIGHT 

By  the  advice  of  the  witch's  daughter,  Jezebel 
did  not  visit  the  house  of  Rimmon  for  several  days. 
"  Give  him  time  to  brood  over  his  lost  love  until  it 
changes  to  anger,"  she  said,  "  and  then  offer  sym- 
pathy and  creep  into  his  vacated  heart." 

Concealing  his  sore  trouble  and  sorrow  amongst 
the  crowds  from  whom  he  naturally  desired  to  hide 
his  wound,  the  young  herdsman  brooded  over  his 
wrongs,  and  after  awhile,  as  the  witch  predicted, 
grew  irritated  against  Zillah  herself.  Then  he 
longed  for  human  sympathy,  to  give  vent  to  his 
feelings  and  to  receive  comfort.  What  he  desired 
was  near  at  hand,  for  five  or  six  days  after  he  had 
been  told  of  the  marriage  of  his  betrothed,  Jezebel 
and  her  train  descended  from  their  camels  at  the 
portico  of  Rimmon. 

In  the  sunken,  sleepless  eyes,  and  pallid  skin  of 
the  young  Israelite,  the  girl  read  the  success  of  her 
plot,  but  she  did  not  appear  to  notice  him,  and  for 
the  first  time  since  he  had  entered  the  service  of  the 

68 


fllQM  69 

house  she  neither  greeted  him  nor  requested  the  as- 
sistance of  his  arm  to  the  high  altar,  selecting  instead 
one  of  her  own  eunuchs  who  walked  behind  the 
maidens. 

Azalim,  who  had  generally  rather  disliked  this 
mark  of  favour,  now  noticed  the  omission  with 
surprise,  and  stranger  still,  with  a  dart  of  disappoint- 
ment at  the  seeming  slight. 

Jezebel  hurried  to  Rimmon's  altar,  laid  her  offer- 
ing, echoed  the  muttered  prayer  of  the  priest  who 
received  it,  and  returned  to  the  portico,  where  the 
herdsman  still  lingered. 

"  Pah !  "  she  cried  to  her  maidens,  "  the  scent  of 
the  stale  incense  has  made  me  sick  unto  death.  The 
judges  should  punish  the  Ishmaelites  who  sell  such 
trash.  Let  us  stay  here  in  the  fresh  coolness  until  the 
camels  come  back.  Bring  me  a  pile  of  cushions," 
she  added  to  her  eunuchs,  "  from  the  nearest  mer- 
chant." 

There  were  stalls  of  merchandise  for  sale  and  hire 
close  by  the  house  of  Rimmon. 

She  arranged  herself  comfortably,  and  her  attend- 
ants sat  on  mats  at  a  little  distance ;  then  she  called 
to  Azalim,  as  if  observing  him  for  the  first  time. 

"Ah,  Hebrew,  I  had  forgotten  till  I  just  caught 
sight  of  thee,  that  I  came  to  speak  to  thee  of  thy 
liberty.    Before  long  thou  shalt  return  to  thy  moun- 


>o     Haalim :  H  IRomance  ot  ®ld  ^u^ea 

tains  and  valleys  and  see  once  more  the  fair  land 
of  Gilead." 

But  Azalim  did  not  reply. 

"  Art  thou  not  glad  ?  "  she  went  on  in  a  caressing 
tone.  "  Dost  thou  not  long  to  hear  the  lowing  of 
thy  cattle,  the  rush  of  their  stampede,  the  wild  con- 
fusion of  heads  and  horns  and  hoofs?  Will  it  give 
thee  no  pleasure  to  tame  the  wild  ass,  to  track  the 
wolf,  and  fight  with  the  lion  and  the  bear?" 

"  It  would  once  have  done  so,  lady." 

"  Once,  what  meanest  thou  ?  Ah,  I  understand, 
thou  art  sick.  Thine  eye  is  heavy  and  thy  step  slow. 
I  will  send  my  physician  to  thee,  Israelite." 

"  I  thank  thee,  daughter  of  EthbaaJ,  but  I  am  not 
sick.     I  need  no  physician." 

"  Then  why  so  indifferent  to  thy  freedom  ?  Why 
so  changed  since  I  first  spoke  of  it  to  thee?  Ah, 
I  know,  I  forgot  to  arouse  thee  by  mentioning  thy 
real  desire  for  release.  Thy  bride,  the  maiden 
Zillah,  awaits  thy  coming  from  the  prison  of  the 
stranger." 

She  had  bade  him  bring  a  mat  and  sit  at  her  feet, 
and  he  was  listening  indifferently  if  not  impatiently 
to  her  talk,  but  at  the  name  of  Zillah  he  sprang  to  his 
feet  and  with  something  very  like  an  oath  between 
his  teeth,  rather  roughly  forbade  her  to  utter  the 
name. 


fliQbt  7» 

"  Why  not  ?  "  she  asked  softly,  with  an  innocent 
wonder  in  the  gleam  of  her  languishing  eyes.  "  Is 
not  a  Syrian  maiden  good  enough  to  speak  the  name 
of  a  Hebrew  one  ?  " 

"  Nay,  it  is  not  that,"  he  cried  passionately,  "  but 
she  whom  I  loved  so  deeply  is  false  to  me,  and  I 
would  never  hear  the  sound  of  her  name  again." 

"  Oh,  no,  impossible,"  cried  Jezebel,  in  a  voice  of 
gentle  regret  and  surprise.  "  No  one,"  she  added, 
"  no  woman,  I  mean,  could  be  false  to  thee,  O  son 
of  Israel." 

He  looked  up  at  her,  for  he  had  resumed  his  place 
on  the  mat.  .There  were  tears  in  her  voice,  he 
thought,  and  he  half  expected  to  see  them  in  her 
eyes,  not  knowing  in  his  simplicity  that  painted  eyes 
are  not  apt  to  shed  tears,  and  as  he  looked  at  her  he 
was  curiously  struck  with  her  beauty.  It  was  not 
new  to  him,  of  course.  He  had  observed,  and  in  a 
way  admired  it  often  before,  but  now  it  had  as  much 
the  charm  of  novelty  as  if  he  really  had  never  seen 
it  hitherto.  He  wondered  at  the  beauty  and  abun- 
dance of  her  hair,  the  regal  pose  of  her  head  and 
shoulders,  the  suppleness  yet  dignity  of  her  form, 
and  then  remembering  her  wealth  and  the  promi- 
nence of  her  father,  he  felt  flattered  that  so  great  a 
lady  should  so  graciously  notice  him.  Why  had  he 
not  seen  all  this  before,  he  thought,  as  Jezebel  arose 


72      a3alim:  H  IRomance  ot  ©It)  3u^ea 

saying  that  her  camels  were  waiting  and  she  must 
go.  "  The  gods  be  with  thee,  son  of  Israel,"  she  said 
as  she  left  the  portico,  "  thy  false  bride  was  not 
worthy  of  thee." 

"  She  is  beautiful  and  bright  like  the  stars  of 
heaven,"  he  muttered,  "  and  my  eyes  were  holden." 

Azalim's  heart  had  been  caught  in  the  rebound. 

Jezebel,  notwithstanding  her  rare  bodily  and  men- 
tal development  and  Oriental  precocity,  was  very 
young  and  knew  little  of  the  world  beyond  its  gods 
and  its  idols.  Azalim,  with  his  twenty  years,  was 
her  senior,  and  the  younger  witch,  the  daughter  of 
the  greater  Neroa,  although  still  young,  was  some 
years  in  advance  of  Ethbaal's  daughter.  Had 
Jezebel  been  left  to  herself,  it  is  very  doubtful  if  she 
would  have  succeeded  with  the  Hebrew  captive.  It 
was  true  that  he  was  touched  by  her  sympathy  and 
at  last  awakened  to  her  beauty,  but  as  yet  it  was 
but  a  cold  appreciation,  and  if  the  enamoured  maiden 
had  followed  her  own  impulses  and  made  open  love 
to  the  slave  of  Rimmon,  the  affection  which  still 
lingered  in  his  heart  for  Zillah  would  have  neutral- 
ized her  advances. 

But  Neroa  the  younger  taught  her  a  more  cunning 
method.  "  Men's  appreciation  of  us,"  she  said, 
"  is  measured  by  the  estimate  put  upon  us  by  their 
fellows.  We  must  contrive  that  thy  beauty  is  vaunted 


jfligbt  73 

in  his  hearing.  We  inspire  in  them  that  thing  which 
they  call  love,  far  more  easily  by  playing  on  their 
vanity,  arousing  their  jealousy,  exciting  their  inter- 
est, and  flattering  their  self-love,  than  by  displaying 
our  own  charms  and  exhibiting  our  own  perfections. 
This  treatment,"  she  continued,  "  makes  them  think 
of  us,  and  when  they  begin  to  think  of  a  woman, 
she  will  be  the  conqueror  in  the  contest." 

Jezebel  was  far  too  quick  of  comprehension  not  to 
appreciate  this  advice,  and  too  acute  not  to  act  upon 
it.  She  began  to  shower  gifts  and  smiles  upon  the 
other  doorkeepers  and  officers  of  the  house  of  Rim- 
mon,  who,  in  return,  naturally  talked  of  and  ex- 
tolled the  beauty  and  riches  of  the  donor.  Then  she 
would  pass  over  Azalim  and  choose  the  youngest 
and  most  comely  of  the  attendants  to  lean  upon  as 
she  approached  the  high  altar,  and  often  passed  him 
by  without  even  a  nod  of  recognition.  The  result 
predicted  by  the  younger  witch  was  verified. 
Azalim,  influenced  by  the  laudation  of  the  priest's 
daughter,  jealous  of  the  favour  shown  to  others,  and 
displeased  at  the  neglect  of  himself,  began  to  think 
a  great  deal  about  Jezebel  and  less  and  less  of  Zillah. 

Unexpected  and  favouring  circumstances  assisted 
his  final  slide  into  the  abyss.  Some  sacerdotal 
troubles  at  Baalbec  caused  Ethbaal  to  send  for 
Gehanan,  in  whose  sagacity  the  high  priest  reposed 


74     asalim :  H  "Romance  ot  ®l&  ^u&ea 

much  confidence.  The  great  heathen  chief  had  not 
a  heretic,  nonconformist,  or  freethinker  in  his  spir- 
itual domain,  and  yet  he  had  trouble,  for  the  sparks 
of  trouble  flew  upward  three  thousand  years  ago  as 
they  do  in  our  day. 

Gehanan  selected  as  guardian  to  supply  his  place 
one  only  inferior  to  himself  in  watchfulness.  He 
left  strict  instructions  that  Jezebel  was  to  be  kept 
from  any  close  intercourse  with  the  young  men  of 
Damascus,  and  was  never  to  attend  the  houses  of  the 
gods  without  a  train  of  attendants,  but  he  forgot 
or  did  not  think  it  needful  to  mention  Azalim,  whom 
he  considered  safely  and  finally  disposed  of,  and  no 
longer  a  danger  to  be  avoided. 

No  sooner  had  Gehanan  left  Damascus  than 
Jezebel  appealed  to  the  younger  witch  to  obtain  the 
transfer  of  Azalim  into  her  service.  This  was  easily 
accomplished.  As  the  pagan  gods  were  not  jealous, 
the  priests  followed  their  example,  and  there  was  no 
rivalry  between  the  houses  of  Baal  and  Rimmon. 
The  latter  readily  consented  to  sell  their  doorkeeper 
to  Jezebel,  a  boon  she  dared  not  herself  have  asked, 
at  the  request  of  Neroa.  The  sub-steward  knew 
of  no  objection  to  the  arrangement,  and  paid  the 
price  without  demur. 

All  obstacles  being  thus  cleared  away,  it  was  not 
long  before  Azalim  became  as  enamoured  of  Jeze- 


flight  75 

bel  as  she  had  long  been  with  him,  and,  receiving 
every  encouragement  from  her,  he  boldly  spoke  his 
love,  to  v^hich  Jezebel  warmly  responded,  and  the 
two  young  lovers  gave  themselves  up  for  awhile 
to  all  the  raptures  and  repetitions  of  the  old,  old 
story. 

"  I  love  thee !  I  love  thee !  "  began,  ended,  and 
epitomized  the  matter,  and  then  Azalim,  awaking 
as  from  a  dream,  bethought  himself  of  the  natural 
and  practical  conclusion  of  all  this  ecstasy,  —  mar- 
riage. 

"  My  beloved,  my  star  of  the  heavens,  my  flower 
of  the  valley,  my  antelope  of  the  wilderness,"  he 
cried,  in  all  the  rhapsody  of  young  new  love.  "  Tell 
me  when  the  wedding-feast  shall  be  which  shall 
complete  the  happiness  that  now  fills  our  whole 
existence  ?  " 

"Our  what?"  exclaimed  Jezebel,  in  a  sudden 
consternation.     "  What  dost  thou  mean  ?  " 

She  had  not  thought  of  marriage.  She  knew 
that  her  father  destined  her  for  the  wife  of  one 
of  the  merchant  princes  of  Tyre,  and  the  prospect 
pleased  her.  Tlie  stir  and  gaiety  of  that  great  mer- 
cantile city  were  more  attractive  than  the  duller 
inland  one  of  Damascus,  of  whose  pleasures,  indeed, 
she  knew  but  little,  so  to  gain  time  for  thought, 
she  repeated,  "  What  dost  thou  mean  ?  " 


76     Hsalim :  H  IRomance  ot  ®l&  5u&ca 

"  Mean  ?  "  cried  Azalim,  "  Why,  that  thou  must 
be  my  wife,  thou  fair  light  of  Paradise.  All  my 
own !  None  other  to  approach  or  look  at  thee,  save 
thine  husband,  never  to  separate  until  death  calls 
one  of  us  to  follow  him." 

Jezebel  was  aghast  at  this  proposal  so  ecstatically 
propounded  by  her  Hebrew  lover.  It  did  not  accord 
with  her  heathen  training,  but  she  concealed  her 
distaste,  and  replied,  "  Ah,  bliss  to  be  thy  wife,  my 
Azalim,  but  what  about  my  father?  A  maiden  can 
only  wed  as  her  father  bestows  her,  and  he  has 
other  views  for  me." 

"  I  have  been  thinking  of  this  as  well  as  thyself," 
replied  her  lover ;  "  thy  father's  consent  is  a  stum- 
bling-block on  thy  side,  and  the  laws  and  religion 
of  my  own  people  is  as  a  wall  between  us  oh  mine. 
But  love  like  ours,  my  Jezebel,  will  evade  the  one 
and  leap  the  other." 

"  What  obstacles  can  there  be  on  thy  side  ?  "  in- 
quired Jezebel,  surprised  at  this  possibility. 

"  My  laws  and  religion,  whilst  they  forbid  the 
love  between  man  and  woman  save  under  the  sanc- 
tion of  marriage,  also  prohibit  us  to  wed  Moabitish 
—  I  mean  women  of  another  race." 

"  I  see,"  returned  Jezebel,  coldly.  "  Well,  then, 
since  there  are  such  barriers  between  us,  why  not 


ifliQbt  77 

give  up  the  thought  of  marriage,  and  remain 
friends?" 

"  Friends !  "  cried  Azalim,  indignantly,  "  when 
I  choose  friends,  they  are  from  among  men. 
Friendship  is  but  a  rope  of  sand  as  a  tie  between 
man  and  woman.  Daughter  of  Ethbaal,  I  love  thee 
with  my  whole  soul,  but  as  my  love  is  bound  up 
with  my  life,  I  will  only  win  and  wear  thee  with  the 
rights  of  a  husband  which  shall  give  thee  to  me 
for  ever." 

Jezebel  saw  he  was  in  deadly  earnest,  and  when 
a  woman  sees  that  in  a  man  she  recognizes  her 
master.  For  some  moments  she  hesitated  whether 
it  was  in  her  power  to  give  up  the  young  Hebrew. 
She  looked  at  him  standing  there  in  all  his  splendid 
beauty  of  form  and  stern  resolve  of  purpose,  and 
decided,  "  No,  —  it  is  impossible." 

"What  is  to  be  done?"  she  answered,  in  voice 
half-helpless,  half-incredulous. 

"  Wed  in  secret,"  he  replied,  "  and  throw  our- 
selves upon  the  hope  and  chance  of  all  coming  right 
in  the  end." 

"  Ah,"  responded  Jezebel,  to  whom  underhand 
dealing  was  not  without  its  charm.  "  Yes,  —  but 
—  this  could  not  be  done  in  Damascus ;  in  the  first 
case  we  should  be  too  well  watched.  In  the  second, 
we  should  be  betrayed." 


78     asalim :  H  IRomance  of  ®IC)  5u^ea 

He  did  not  answer.  He  thought  for  some  min- 
utes, and  then  he  spoke.  "  I  have  a  plan.  We 
must  escape  for  some  days  into  the  land  of  Israel, 
—  my  adopted  father  shall  give  thee  to  me  to  wife !  " 

"  Who  is  he  ?  "   demanded  Jezebel. 

"  He  is  a  prophet  of  Jehovah  risen  high  amongst 
his  brethren.  In  the  present  state  of  Israel  on  this 
side  of  Jordan,  without  temple,  without  priesthood, 
the  prophets  are  permitted  to  join  our  people  in 
marriage,  and,  on  rare  occasions,  offer  sacrifices, 
and  otherwise  perform  the  offices  of  the  consecrated 
priesthood.    Yes,  we  will  go  to  Gilead." 

"  Impossible !  "    exclaimed  Jezebel. 

"  Give  me  thy  consent,  and  it  shall  be  possible," 
retorted  Azalim. 

She  took  no  notice  of  this  appeal,  but  put  a 
question. 

"  Doth  thy  law  allow  more  than  one  wife,  thou 
son  of  Israel  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  Azalim,  reluctantly,  "  it  does. 
But  do  not  fear,  beloved,  I  will  never  take  another 
to  vex  thee." 

"  And  when  thy  people  get  too  many  wives,  or 
tire  of  them,  what  do  they  do  with  the  poor  crea- 
tures ? "  asked  Jezebel,  sarcastically,  "  Drown 
them?  I  suppose  beheading,  a  man's  punishment, 
would  be  too  honourable  for  the  women." 


riiabt  79 

"  No,"  was  Azalim's  indignant  reply.  "  They 
give  the  wives  a  writing  of  divorcement,  and  they 
can  then  return  to  their  own  people." 

"  And  may  the  wives  give  the  husbands  a  writ- 
ing of  divorcement  when  they  tire  of  them  ?  "  in- 
quired Jezebel,  with  an  innocent  look  and  tone. 

"  Ah,  no,"  said  Azalim,  hastily,  "  no,  they  can- 
not." 

"  That  is  unfair,"  remarked  Jezebel,  quietly. 

"  Well,  thou  seest  the  men  make  the  laws,  and 
so  naturally  —  " 

"  Make  them  in  their  own  favour,"  she  inter- 
rupted, laughingly.  "  Well,  if  we  had  the  same 
chance,  we  should  do  the  same  thing.  But  now 
leave  me,  thou  love  of  my  soul,  and  I  will  think 
over  what  thou  hast  said,  and  I  will  give  thee  an 
answer  on  the  morrow." 

"  Do  not  let  the  thought  of  the  writing  of  divorce- 
ment trouble  thee,  thou  pearl  of  beauty,"  whispered 
the  enamoured  lover  as  he  embraced  her  and  passion- 
ately kissed  her  lips,  "  I  shall  never  tire  of  thee." 

"  Perchance  not,"  thought  Jezebel,  "  but  it  is 
just  possible  that  by  and  by  I  may  tire  of  thee, 
thou  comely  Israelite." 

Jezebel  did  not  give  the  answer  ©n  the  following 
day,  but  prevaricated,  hoping  he  would  yield  to 
her  hints  of  delay,  but  Azalim,  who  had  a  strong 


8o     H3alim :  H  IRomance  of  ©l&  5u^ea 

substratum  of  will  in  his  character,  was  resolute 
she  should  be  his  wife  or  nothing  to  him.  He  held 
aloof  from  his  mistress,  and  she  from  him;  then, 
finding  she  could  not  give  him  up,  she  did  as  women 
usually  do  when  the  master  sex  is  thoroughly  in 
earnest,  —  she  submitted  her  will  to  his.  Having 
then  consented  not  only  to  become  Azalim's  wife, 
but  to  be  united  in  the  land  of  Israel  by  a  prophet 
of  Jehovah,  Jezebel  lost  no  time  in  taking  steps 
to  manage  this  by  no  means  easy  matter.  She 
sought  help  from  Neroa. 

Too  discreet  to  mention  the  word  marriage,  she 
gave  the  witch  to  understand  that  she  and  her  lover 
wished  to  take  a  few  days'  journey  into  the  coun- 
try, so  as  to  enjoy  one  another's  society  alone,  an 
impossibility  in  her  strictly  guarded  home.  Secret 
love  intrigues  formed  a  large  part  of  the  trade  of 
witchcraft,  and  a  scheme  was  quickly  devised,  which 
delighted  the  youthful  lovers,  and  was  speedily 
carried  into  execution. 

It  was  a  custom  among  the  Damascenes  to  make 
excursions  into  the  lovely  environs  of  the  city,  spend 
the  hot  hours  of  the  day  amongst  the  shady  trees 
and  by  the  cool  fountains,  and  return  in  the  even- 
ing. Jezebel  proposed  such  a  picnic,  as  we  should 
call  it,  to  the  sub-eunuch  in  charge  of  the  house,  who 
readily  agreed  to  the  proposal,  and,  with  a  retinue 


dfuabt  81 

of  maidens  and  servants,  with  himself  and  eunuchs 
for  guards,  they  started  for  the  day's  pleasure. 

At  the  height  of  their  enjoyment  came  a  "  bolt 
from  the  blue."  A  band  of  mounted  robbers  swooped 
down  like  a  flock  of  vultures  upon  the  party,  beat 
the  eunuchs,  tore  the  bracelets  and  jewels  from 
the  arms  and  necks  of  the  women,  maltreating  their 
victims  at  the  same  time  with  violence  and  insult. 
In  the  midst  of  the  confusion,  their  chief  approached 
Jezebel,  and,  like  another  Lochinvar,  with  "  a  touch 
of  her  hand  and  a  word  in  her  ear,"  like  the  wind 
they  were  off  together,  their  flight  scarcely  noticed 
amidst  the  tumult,  shrieks,  and  struggles  of  the 
attack. 

On  flew  the  desert-born  steed,  bearing  the  two 
runaways  on  their  flight.  It  is  needless  to  say  that 
this  bold  rider  was  Azalim,  who  had  been  sent  away 
on  some  trifling  business,  and  had  secured  in  the 
horse-market  the  strongest  and  fleetest  of  the  recent 
equine  importations  from  Egypt. 

On,  on  for  a  league  or  so,  and  then  Azalim  drew 
rein,  and  the  two  looked  back  to  see  if  they  were 
pursued,  just  as  in  the  good  old  times  of  our  re- 
spected forefathers,  flying  lovers  looked  out  from 
their  post-chaise  to  see  if  an  irate  parent  were  close 
after  them  in  another.  We  have  changed  all  that. 
Parental  authority  is  now  a  worn-out  legend,  and 


82      Hsalim :  H  IRomance  ot  ®l&  5u&ea 

the  unconsulted  father  patiently  awaits  the  air  mes- 
sage of  their  return,  and  blesses  his  disobedient 
children  on  their  arrival. 

On,  on,  with  unmingled  delight  and  intervals  of 
breathless  laughter  in  the  momentary  pauses,  gal- 
loped the  two  delighted  lovers.  No  girl  eloping  from 
a  school,  no  nun  without  a  vocation  escaping  from 
a  convent,  could  have  enjoyed  an  ecstasy  equal  to 
that  of  Jezebel.  As  yet  unstained  by  crime,  her 
whole  soul  filled  with  the  love  of  a  youthful  woman 
going  to  her  bridal  comparatively  innocent,  beauti- 
ful, and  beloved,  she  felt  her  entire  being  was  so 
overcrowded  with  bliss  that  were  more  added  she 
would  be  crushed  by  its  weight. 

And  what  of  Azalim?  His  rapture  was  even 
stronger,  fiercer,  than  was  Jezebel's ;  and  so  they 
rode  on,  those  two  —  with  their  twenty  and  seven- 
teen years,  and  with  all  the  glorious  hopes  and  pos- 
sibilities of  the  future  before  them. 

They  suffered  no  privation.  Jezebel  had  money 
and  gems  concealed  on  her  person,  and  Azalim  had 
food  in  his  saddle-bags.  There  was  fruit  for  the 
plucking  over  the  fences  of  the  vineyards  and  or- 
chards by  the  wayside,  and  what  more  they  wanted 
was  easily  purchased  at  the  villages  on  their  route. 
So  they  fled  on  without  a  care  save  as  to  pursuit, 


jfligbt  83 

and  without  a  thought  but  of  their  mutual  love  and 
coming  happiness. 

As  quickly  as  possible  after  crossing  the  frontier 
between  Syria  and  Israel,  Azalim  purchased  a  strong 
mule  for  Jezebel's  use,  in  order  to  avoid  the  unusual 
appearance  of  the  double  mount,  and  they  proceeded 
more  leisurely  across  the  country  toward  the  Jordan, 
where  they  were  informed  their  great  master  was 
at  present  in  retirement  at  the  schools  of  the  prophets 
on  the  borders  of  the  Jordan. 

The  place  of  Elijah's  retreat  was  a  cave  on  the 
side  of  a  hill  so  thickly  covered  with  trees  as  to  hide 
the  view  of  the  neighbouring  river.  The  two  fugi- 
tives reached  the  vicinity  just  as  the  noontide  sun 
fell  hottest  on  the  land.  Directed  by  one  of  the 
sons  of  the  prophets  of  the  neighbouring  school, 
they  arrived  at  the  spot,  tethered  their  steeds,  and 
rested  in  the  shade  during  the  heat  of  the  day,  for 
Azalim  knew  that  at  eventide  Elijah  took  a  rest 
from  his  vigils  and  communion  of  prayer,  and  was 
ready  to  receive  those  who  came  to  inquire  at  his 
word. 

Jezebel  was  swathed  and  veiled,  as  was  the  usage 
of  the  Damascene  women  when  they  took  their 
journeys  into  the  country,  but,  after  this  rough  ride, 
her  attire  was  necessarily  disarranged,  and  she  re- 
tired beside  a  streamlet  to  refresh  and  adjust  her- 


84     Hsaltm :  H  IRomance  of  ®l&  Sn^ca 

self.  Straightening  the  soft  Eastern  musHn  which 
enveloped  her,  she  draped  it  freshly  around  her  in 
graceful  folds,  retouched  eyes  and  cheeks  with  her 
subtle  unguents  she  had  thought  to  bring  with  her, 
and  then,  combing  and  tiring  her  magnificent  hair, 
she  let  the  longer  portion  fall  over  her  person,  and 
formed  the  rest  into  a  braid  like  a  diadem  on  her 
head,  fastening  to  it  the  veil,  which  softened  rather 
than  concealed  her  fine  features,  as  the  wrappings 
around  her  person  revealed  more  than  they  hid  the 
perfect  outlines  of  her  figure,  and,  surveying  her 
work  in  a  small  metal  mirror  hanging  at  her  side, 
she  smiled  with  satisfaction  at  the  result. 

"  Thou  sapphire  of  splendour,"  cried  Azalim,  in 
a  rapture  of  admiration  as  he  rejoined  and  beheld 
her.  "  The  holy  prophet,  to  whom  I  am  about  to 
present  thee,  must  approve  instead  of  condemning 
our  marriage  when  he  sees  thy  beauty." 

"  Condemning !  "  repeated  Jezebel,  angrily. 

"  I  only  meant  that  thou  art  not  a  daughter  of 
our  people,"  explained  her  lover,  in  some  confusion, 
"  I  come  to  pray  thee  to  stay  here  awhile,  whilst  I 
prepare  him  for  thy  reception." 

"  I  pray  thee  to  haste  thy  return,"  observed  Jeze- 
bel, not  too  well  pleased  at  the  delay. 

"  I  will  use  all  haste,"  said  Azalim,  as  he  disap- 
peared into  the  wood. 


CHAPTER   VI. 


PURSUED 


Elijah  stood  at  the  opening  of  the  cave.  He 
bore  marks  of  deep  anxiety  on  his  face,  and  in  his 
troubled  eyes  and  a  general  dejection  of  mien,  which 
told  of  evil  tidings  either  already  revealed  or  ap- 
prehended to  be  close  at  hand.  He  had  passed  a 
night  wrestling  in  prayer,  for  a  great  weight  lay 
upon  his  spirit  which  had  not  been  lifted  by  prophetic 
revelation. 

Unperceived  in  his  approach  by  a  side-path  to  the 
cave,  Azalim  suddenly  appeared  before  the  prophet, 
at  whose  feet  he  fell  on  bended  knee,  craving  a 
welcome  and  a  blessing. 

"  Azalim,  my  son,"  cried  Elijah,  in  a  voice  of 
surprised  delight,  opening  his  arms  as  if  to  embrace 
him.  "  The  God  of  Israel  be  praised  for  restoring 
thee  to  me.  Yet,"  he  added,  "  what  meaneth  this 
loss  of  the  locks  of  the  Nazarite  from  thy  head  ?  Is 
thy  vow  broken  ?  " 

"  Not  so,  my  lord ;  my  captors  shaved  my  head 
and  I  had  no  power  to  resist  them.     But  what  I 

85 


86     Haalim :  H  IRomance  ot  ©15  5ut)ea 

could  do  I  have  done.  No  wine  nor  strong  drink 
hath  ever  yet  passed  my  Hps." 

"  That  is  well,  my  son.  Yet  one  more  question. 
Hast  thou  bowed  thyself  in  worship  before  the  idols 
in  the  houses  of  the  false  gods  ?  " 

"  Never,  my  lord.  Even  in  the  house  of  Rimmon, 
where  they  bound  me  slave,  I  have  never  bowed 
myself,  nor  hath  my  mouth  kissed  the  image  of 
Baal." 

"  Then  art  thou  welcome,  and  shalt  be  blessed 
now  and  for  evermore.  But  come  within,  and  rest 
and  refresh  thyself,  and  recount  to  me  all  that  hath 
happened  since  thou  wast  taken,  and  how  thou  hast 
been  delivered  from  the  bondage  of  our  enemies." 

"  Nay,  my  lord  Elijah,  I  can  neither  rest  nor 
refresh  myself  until  I  have  told  the  errand  that 
brought  me  here,  and  have  entreated  and  obtained 
thy  aid  as  well  as  thy  blessing." 

"  Speak,  then,  my  son,  and  declare  thine  errand," 
replied  the  prophet. 

"  Doubtless  thou  knowest,  my  lord,  that  thy  kins- 
man Phanuel  hath  deceived  me,  and  when  I  was 
taken  by  the  Syrian  bands,  and  did  not  speedily 
return,  gave  his  daughter  Zillah,  my  betrothed  bride, 
to  old  Isaac  of  Gilboa  to  wife." 

"  Impossible !  "  exclaimed  the  prophet.  "  It  is 
thou  who  hast  been  deceived.    These  tidings  cannot 


pursued  S; 

be  true.  Phanuel  is  an  honourable  man  who  fears 
God  and  could  not  be  guilty  of  such  baseness.  It 
must  be  a  tale  of  false  or  ignorant  tongues." 

"  Nay,"  returned  Azalim,  gravely,  "  this  treachery 
was  told  me  by  two  witnesses,  Issachar,  the  son  of 
Boen,  who  was  taken  prisoner  some  while  after 
myself,  and  the  old  Ishmaelite  merchant  who  trades 
in  Gilead  and  was  himself  at  the  wedding-feast. 
There  is  no  mistake.  It  is  no  lie,"  he  added,  sorrow- 
fully.    "  I  have  been  wronged  and  betrayed." 

"  I  have  not  seen  Phanuel  since  thy  capture,  my 
son,  and  grieve  deeply  at  his  unworthiness  and  the 
wrong  he  hath  done  thee,  of  which  the  great  evil 
is  that  it  cannot  be  repaired." 

"  Thou  canst  not  wonder,  my  father,  that  I  have 
striven  to  banish  Zillah  from  my  heart ! "  said 
Azalim. 

"  No,  my  son,  the  wife  of  another  man  must  be 
henceforth  nothing  to  thee." 

"  Nor  canst  thou  blame  me,"  continued  Azalim, 
uneasily,  "  if  I  have  replaced  her  by  another.  Thou 
hast  always  urged  me  to  choose  a  wife  in  my  youth 
and  live  joyfully  with  her,  and  I  come  to  thee  as 
to  my  father  to  ask  of  thee  to  give  to  me  for  wife 
her  whom  I  love  with  all  my  soul,  and  have  brought 
here  to  present  as  such  before  thee." 

"Whom  hast  thou  chosen?"  exclaimed  Elijah, 


88     asalim :  H  IRomance  of  ©l^  ?tt^ca 

with  quick  suspicion,  fixing  his  deep-set,  penetrating 
eye  keenly  on  his  adopted  son. 

"  A  maiden  of  Damascus." 

"An  idolater?" 

"  Yea,  —  at  present." 

"  Whose  daughter  is  she?  " 

"  The  daughter  of  a  priest."  Azalim  did  not  ven- 
ture to  add  the  whole  truth  by  saying  what  priest. 

"  Of  Baal?  "  inquired  Elijah. 

"  Yea." 

"  And,"  cried  the  prophet,  raising  his  hand  and 
standing  aside  in  all  the  majesty  of  his  grand  pres- 
ence, which  seemed  to  grow  larger  and  higher  as 
he  spoke,  "  thou,  a  son  of  Israel,  darest  to  come  to 
me,  a  prophet  of  Jehovah,  and  tell  of  thy  love 
for  an  outlandish  woman,  and  bid  me  to  give  her 
to  thee  for  wife  whom  thy  God  hath  forbidden  thee 
to  wed  —  forgetting  the  evils  the  Moabitish  women 
brought  upon  thy  people,  and  the  sin  of  Solomon, 
whose  heathen  wives  stole  him  from  his  God.  Get 
thee  to  the  priest  her  father  to  wed  thee.  I  abjure 
thee  from  henceforth  for  my  son." 

"  My  lord  Elijah,"  cried  Azalim,  falling  at  the 
prophet's  feet  and  holding  the  hem  of  his  robe, 
"hear  me,  listen,  I  pray  thee,  for  the  love  of  my 
sister  Salome.  By  the  mercy  of  the  God  of  Abra- 
ham, spurn  me  not  from  thee ! " 


pursued  S9 

Elijah  had  made  a  movement  of  repulsion  when 
AzaHm  touched  his  garment,  but  at  the  name  of 
Salome  he  repressed  it.  "  Speak,"  he  whispered 
rather  than  spoke. 

"  Thou  hast  told  me,  father,  that  the  abuse  of 
God's  gift  of  love  between  man  and  woman  debases 
the  soul  more  than  any  other  sin,  and  hast  enjoined 
me  to  use  it  as  God  ordains  in  the  bond  of  marriage. 
I  obeyed,  and  Zillah  was  to  have  been  my  bride. 
She  was  torn  from  me.  I  have  loved  another  with 
my  whole  soul,  as  I  have  already  told  thee.  I  did 
not  seek  it.  It  came  to  me,  took  possession  of  me, 
and  spite  of  my  will  I  have  yielded  to  it,  I  would 
seal  this  love  with  marriage,  and  you  refuse  this 
consummation." 

"  Because  the  woman  is  the  daughter  of  the  un- 
circumcised,"  retorted  Elijah. 

"  True,  my  father,  and  were  not  Rahab  and  Ruth 
daughters  of  the  uncircumcised,  and  yet  they  were 
the  wives  of  Israelites,  and  the  foremothers  of  the 
royal  race  of  David,  from  whom  thou  hast  told  me 
the  Messiah  will  come." 

Elijah  could  not  refute  this  uncontrovertible  ar- 
gument, and  was  silent. 

"  It  is  marriage  or  sin,"  urged  Azalim.  "  She 
whom  I  love  is  an  idolater,  —  yea,  I  cannot  deny  it, 
and  such  hold  the  sanctity  of  marriage  but  lightly. 


90     Hsalim :  H  iRomance  of  ©It)  5u&ca 

I  dare  not,  as  a  Syrian  prisoner,  wed  her  in  her 
own  country.  Wilt  thou,  then,  yet  refuse  to  unite  us, 
my  lord  and  my  father  ?  " 

Still  Elijah  kept  silence. 

"  I  love  this  woman  more  than  my  life,"  he  con- 
tinued. "  I  cannot  give  her  up.  I  would  as  willingly 
hew  off  each  limb  of  my  body  as  part  with  her." 

"  The  God  of  Abraham  pity  the  lad,"  said  Elijah, 
in  a  sad  accent  of  compassion.  "  He  would  sell  all 
he  has  for  this  mess  of  pottage.  My  son,  I  may  have 
spoken  harshly  and  hastily  to  thee  upon  this  matter, 
but  my  spirit  is  chafed  by  a  burden  wWch  has  laid 
heavy  upon  me  this  night  past.  The  shadojjvs  of 
coming  evil  lay  thick  upon  our  land,  and  the  cause 
appeared  to  be  approaching  and  closing  around  me. 
The  Lord  has  hid  this  from  me.  Yet  I  will  not  act 
in  this  matter  without  asking  his  counsel.  Where  is 
the  woman  whom  thou  so  desirest  ?  " 

"  In  the  grove  of  palms  by  the  pool  of  the  stream- 
let, my  lord." 

"  Then  go  back  to  her.  Under  that  cedar  yonder 
my  evening  meal  is  spread.  Take  and  refresh  your- 
selves there,  and  when  I  call  thee,  come,  and  I  will 
declare  to  thee  the  will  of  Jehovah  if  he  is  graciously 
pleased  to  reveal  it  to  me." 

Elijah  retired  into  the  cave  and  Azalim  rejoined 
Jezebel,  until  he  was  summoned  by  the  prophet. 


pursue&  91 

"  My  son,'*  said  Elijah,  "  thy  union  with  this 
woman  is  granted,  but  I  have  to  warn  thee  that  it  will 
bring  upon  thyself  an  evil  of  the  greatest  calamity 
that  can  befall  a  living  man.  That  this  woman 
thou  so  lovest  will  desert,  betray,  and  be  faithless 
to  thee,  and  moreover,  that  she  will  bring  ruin  and 
misery  upon  thy  country.  Dost  thou  still  desire  to 
possess  her?  " 

Azalim  looked  straight  into  the  prophet's  face. 
The  latter's  words  seemed  to  him  but  idle  tales, 
and  even  if  true,  they  were  not  to  be  weighed  against 
the  passion  he  felt  for  Jezebel,  and  he  answered: 
"  I  do  still  desire  her." 

"  Then  bring  her  before  me !  "  said  Elijah. 

She  came  and  stood  before  the  prophet,  who 
greeted  her  with  the  brief  command : 

"  Woman,  remove  thy  veil." 

With  a  slow  sweep  of  her  hand  Jezebel  turned 
aside  her  veil,  and  this  man  and  this  woman  so  re- 
nowned in  the  world's  history  stood  face  to  face, 
and  their  eyes  met  —  not  as  man's  and  woman's  in 
the  language  of  love,  not  as  two  living  beings  in  the 
interchange  of  friendship,  and  not  in  the  deadly  hate 
of  enemies,  —  but  on  both  sides  with  a  half-con- 
scious, half-realized  sense  of  antagonism,  danger, 
and  death. 

There  they  stood,  and  with  them,  woven  into  the 


92      Hsaltm :  a  IRomance  ot  ®l&  3u^ea 

grand  drama  of  their  lives,  was  the  young  herdsman 
of  Gilead,  who  sought  the  blessing  of  the  prophet 
on  his  marriage  with  the  daughter  of  Baal's  high 
priest. 

"  Dost  thou  love  this  man,  O  woman  of  the  stran- 
ger's race,  with  a  love  strong  enough  to  give  him 
the  faithful,  true  affection  due  to  a  husband  ?  "  the 
prophet  suddenly  demanded  of  Jezebel,  who  did  not 
reply  in  words,  only  bending  her  head  as  an  inti- 
mation of  assent. 

"  And  thou,  O  man  —  "  continued  Elijah,  turn- 
ing to  Azalim;  he  did  not  finish  the  sentence,  but 
remained  in  an  attitude  of  expectation. 

"  I  love  her  with  my  whole  body,  mind,  and  —  " 

The  prophet  raised  his  hand  in  interruption.  "  It 
is  enough,"  he  said.  "  By  the  word  sent  to  me 
on  this  matter,  I  give  thee  this  woman  of  the  stranger 
to  wife,  O  Azalim,  son  of  Shinar,  if,  on  thy  part, 
thou  wilt  swear  by  the  Lord  God  of  thy  fathers 
that  thou  wilt  never,  whatever  the  provocation  may 
be,  put  away  this  thy  wife,  but  wilt  remain  her 
husband  until  death  himself  deliver  to  the  survivor 
his  writing  of  divorcement." 

Jezebel  started  forward  to  protest,  but  before  she 
had  time  to  speak,  Azalim  had  lifted  his  hand  and 
eyes  to  heaven  and  taken  the  oath. 

"  Jehovah  deliver  thee  from  all  coming  evil  and 


pursueD  93 

bless  thee  in  the  end  thereof,  my  son,"  said  the 
prophet,  solemnly,  as  Azalim  bowed  himself  beneath 
the  outspread  hands  held  over  him.  But  Elijah  had 
no  blessing  for  Jezebel,  and  when  Azalim  would 
have  followed  his  adopted  father,  as  he  turned  with- 
out another  word  into  the  cave,  to  entreat  a  share 
in  the  blessing  for  his  newly  made  wife,  Elijah 
motioned  him  away  so  unmistakably  that  the  baffled 
husband,  with  a  subdued  air  little  befitting  a  bride- 
groom, embraced  and  saluted  his  bride,  and,  taking 
her  hand,  led  her  to  their  tethered  animals,  which 
they  mounted  in  silence  and  rode  away. 

Thus,  in  the  mutual  awe  as  of  an  ill  omen,  this 
strange  marriage  ceremony  ended. 

The  bride  and  bridegroom  soon  shook  off  the  de- 
pression that  hung  over  them  as  they  left  the  pres- 
ence of  the  prophet.  The  young  do  not  long  fret 
and  forebode.  It  is  rather  a  serious  matter  when 
they  can  do  so.  By  the  time  they  reached  the  inn 
at  the  nearest  village,  their  spirits  had  brightened 
into  joyousness,  and  they  were  ready  for  any  pleas- 
ure that  might  come  in  their  way. 

A  roadside  inn,  three  thousand  years  ago,  as  little 
resembled  the  rural  village  inns  of  the  Old  World 
as  they  would  the  hotel  palaces  of  an  American 
city.  Yet,  in  a  fashion,  they  were  like  the  latter, 
for  their  extent  must  have  been  equal,  as  the  flocks 


94     Hsalim :  H  IRomance  ot  (^15  5u^ea 

and  herds  and  camels  and  asses  of  the  rich  traveller 
found  ample  accommodation,  and  the  poor,  as  was 
the  custom  in  the  ancient  village  hostelries,  were 
also  admitted. 

But  the  young  travellers  were  not  moneyless,  and, 
with  the  quick  instinct  of  the  host  in  such  matters, 
they  were  ushered  into  a  well-furnished  guest-cham- 
ber, there  to  await  the  supper  to  be  prepared  for 
them.  It  soon  came,  a  feast  a  prince  might  have 
enjoyed,  consisting  of  savoury  dishes,  as  Azalim's 
forefather,  Isaac,  who  we  may  conclude  with  reason 
was  rather  an  epicure,  would  have  loved,  —  of  kid 
of  the  goats,  and  lamb  from  the  flock,  and  pigeons 
from  the  dove-cote,  with  wheaten  bread  of  the  whit- 
est, and  oil  from  the  purest  olive,  and  honey  from 
the  rock.  While  the  wines  were  what  the  present 
millionaire's  gold  cannot  buy,  for  they  were  the 
unadulterated  juice  from  grapes,  the  like  of  which 
the  exhausted  earth  no  longer  produces. 

Jezebel  partook  of  the  wine  moderately  and  mixed 
with  water,  and  did  not  appear  to  notice  that  her 
companion  only  drank  the  water  without  the  wine. 

When  the  feast  was  finished  and  the  servants  had 
removed  the  remains,  the  host  came  in,  followed  by 
an  attendant  bearing  a  skin  of  wine,  from  which 
he  filled  a  cup  and  pledged  the  bride  and  bridegroom, 
after  the  immemorial  usage  of  all  ages,  for  Azalim, 


l>ursuc&  95 

on  entering,  had  told  their  host  that  he  had  taken  this 
beautiful  woman  to  wife,  and  had  brought  her  to 
receive  a  blessing  at  the  retreat  of  the  great  prophet. 
Then  he  poured  out  two  cups  for  a  return  pledge, 
assuring  them  that  a  like  draught  from  such  a  rare 
vintage  was  not  to  be  obtained  elsewhere  on  either 
side  the  Jordan. 

Jezebel  raised  the  cup  before  her  and  waited  for 
Azalim  to  join  her,  but  he  made  no  movement. 

"  The  blessing  of  the  patriarchs  on  thee,  my  son," 
said  the  host,  "  and  may  this  fair  woman  be  the 
fruitful  mother  of  thy  children  to  the  latest  genera- 
tions." 

"  I  bless  and  thank  thee,  and  return  the  blessing 
on  thine  own  head,"  said  Azalim,  "  but  the  vow  of 
the  Nazarite  is  upon  me,  and  I  taste  no  wine." 

The  host,  disappointed  but  acquiescent,  bowed  low 
before  them  and  left  the  guest-chamber,  but  Jezebel's 
brow  was  very  dark,  and  when  they  were  alone  she 
remarked : 

"  Now  that  this  man  hath  left  us  thou  wilt  not 
fear,  my  bridegroom,  to  drink  from  the  same  cup 
as  thy  bride.    It  brings  luck." 

"  Didst  thou  not  hear  me  tell  him  that  I  was  under 
a  vow  ?  "  replied  Azalim. 

"  Yea,  but,  now  that  thou  hast  wedded  a  Syrian, 


96     asalim :  a  IRomance  ot  ©l^  5ubea 

thou  must  give  up  all  these  Israelite  superstitions," 
urged  Jezebel. 

Azalim  was  silent. 

"  Pledge  me  now,"  she  said,  rising  and  seating 
herself  by  his  side  on  the  couch  where  he  had  re- 
clined in  eating.  "  See,  I  will  place  my  lips  here, 
drink,  and  thou  shalt  drain  the  cup  from  the  same 
spot." 

But  Azalim  motioned  the  hand  and  cup  it  held 
away.  "  I  cannot  break  my  vow  to  Jehovah  even 
for  thee,  beloved,"  he  said,  gravely. 

"  Thou  knowest  not  the  value  of  what  thou  re- 
fusest,"  she  answered,  laughingly.  "  I  will  tell  thee 
a  tale  of  Damascus,"  she  went  on,  caressing  him 
lightly  as  she  spoke,  "  and  it  may  teach  thee  not 
to  undervalue  what  another  gave  his  life  to  possess. 
There  was  a  feast  of  wine  in  the  house  of  Ashtaroth 
in  honour  of  the  goddess.  The  captains  of  the  host 
were  sitting  at  a  table  when  the  wine-cups  were 
ready  for  drink  and  libation,  and  as  I  passed  they 
offered  me  the  goblet  which  was  to  be  the  first  to 
be  tasted  and  poured  and  —  " 

"  Thou  didst  take  from  their  hands !  "  interrupted 
Azalim,  angjily. 

Jezebel  laughed.  She  was  pleased  at  this  little 
outburst  of  jealousy. 

"  Yea,  I  took  it,  and  was  about  to  taste  and  pour 


it  to  the  gods,  when  the  chief  captain  seized  the 
cup  and  swore  he  would  give  its  weight  in  golden 
coin  to  Ashtaroth  if  I  would  taste  it  again  and  let 
him  place  his  lips  where  mine  had  touched  and  pour 
the  libation  together.  Then  the  next  in  rank  offered 
double  coin  for  the  same  privilege,  and  so  it  went 
around,  and  the  last  was  the  highest  bidder,  and  I 
said  he  should  win  the  prize,  but  the  chief  captain 
drew  his  sword  and  vowed  he  should  fight  for  it, 
and  they  did  fight,  and  the  highest  bidder  was  slain, 
and  the  chief  captain  got  the  cup  kiss,  and  he  de- 
served it,"  she  added,  with  a  peal  of  gratified  laugh- 
ter. 

But  Azalim  was  not  pleased  with  this  story,  and 
he  still  refused  to  drink  the  wine. 

Then  she  caressed  and  spoke  fondly  to  him,  and 
told  him  he  did  not  love  her,  as  he  refused  to  grant 
so  trifling  a  favour  as  to  put  his  lips  upon  the  spot 
wher^  hers  had  rested. 

Now  and  then  he  seemed  about  to  yield  to  her 
blandishments,  and  then  he  rallied  his  resolution 
and  still  resisted. 

But  Jezebel  was  the  more  resolved  to  carry  her 
point  at  each  refusal  of  her  bridegroom,  and  at  last 
she  handled  her  final  weapon.  She  declared  that, 
as  Azalim  no  longer  loved  her,  she  would  kill  her 
own  love  for  him,  and  in  order  to  do  this  she  would 


98     Hsallm :  H  IRomance  of  ©ID  5ubea 

go  away  and  never  be  either  his  bride  or  his  wife, 
and  she  took  up  her  veil  as  if  to  put  it  on,  de- 
claring it  was  breaking  her  heart  to  depart,  yet 
she  would  do  so,  and  opened  the  door,  looking  back 
a  sad  farewell  as  she  passed  through.  Azalim, 
wearied  by  her  persistence  and  weakly  believing  her 
to  be  in  earnest,  seized  the  cup  of  red  wine,  and, 
springing  forward,  he  held  it  without  a  word  to 
Jezebel's  lips.  She  tasted  it  and  then  also  in  silence 
took  the  goblet  and  presented  it  to  her  husband, 
who,  without  further  resistance,  raised  it  to  his  lips 
and  took  a  deep  draught.  Then,  dashing  the  cup 
upon  the  ground,  he  returned  to  the  couch,  and, 
uttering  a  half-stifled  groan,  he  buried  his  face  in 
his  hands  and  fell  into  an  attitude  of  miserable  de- 
jection. 

Thus  it  came  to  pass  that  Azalim  broke  his  vow 
of  the  Nazarite. 

The  next  morning  Azalim  and  his  bride  set  forth 
on  their  return  journey.  They  were  anxious  to 
arrive  at  Damascus  before  the  news  of  Jezebel's 
abduction  by  the  robbers  reached  the  high  priest's 
ears,  and  a  search  should  be  set  on  foot  by  him. 
Their  story  was  to  be  that  Ethbaal's  daughter  had 
been  carried  into  the  land  of  Israel,  and,  by  the  aid 
of  her  servant  Azalim,  had  escaped  and  been  safely 


putBued  99 

brought  home  by  him.  They  rode  on  with  all  haste, 
if  not  with  the  frantic  speed  of  their  elopement. 

They  had  only  covered  a  few  miles  of  their  jour- 
ney, and  were  riding  up  an  ascent  of  which  the  path 
did  not  admit  two  abreast,  when  Azalim,  who  was 
in  advance,  suddenly  reined  up  and  uttered  an  ex- 
clamation of  dismay.  Jezebel  looked  up  to  see  several 
horsemen  on  the  crest  of  the  hill,  and,  as  they  bore 
lances,  they  were  evidently  men  of  war.  "  It  is  a 
Syrian  band,"  cried  Azalim.  "  I  never  yet  knew 
them  penetrate  so  far;  and,  see,  they  are  gathering 
in  force  as  they  see  us.  Off  from  the  mule,  beloved, 
and  mount  again  behind  me.  We  must  head  for 
the  Jordan,  and  if  we  can  reach  the  fords  we  are 
safe.  The  Syrians  have  never  yet  passed  the  river. 
To  be  overtaken  means  death !  " 

Jezebel  knew  well  it  would  be  so;  knew  her 
father,  although  not  a  cruel  or  bloodthirsty  man, 
was  one  of  stem  will  and  accustomed  to  uncontrolled 
power,  and  if  he  found  her  out,  —  which,  were  she 
thus  taken,  he  was  sure  to  do,  —  it  might  be  worse 
than  death.    Ah,  no.    They  must  not  be  taken. 

It  was  well  for  them  both  that  Azalim  had  no 
shrieking,  hysterical,  helpless  woman  on  his  hands. 
She  never  once  lost  presence  of  mind.  Looking 
back,  she  marked  each  horseman  that  came  to  the 


loo    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  ot  ©l&  5ut)ea 

front,  and  warned  Azalim  to  giaide  his  way  accord- 
ingly. 

At  last  a  glad  cry  came  from  them  both. 
"Water!  The  river!  The  Jordan!"  and  they 
laughed  for  joy  and  pressed  onward. 

Then  another  cry  almost  of  terror  burst  forth 
from  Azalim's  lips  as  they  came  nearer.  "  Great 
and  holy  Moses,"  he  spoke,  in  a  whisper,  "  it  is  — 
I  forgot  the  harvest,  and  Jordan  overflows  his  banks 
in  the  time  of  harvest." 

It  was  so,  and  such  an  overflow  had  scarcely  been 
known  as  that  which  now  spread  before  the  eyes  of 
the  baffled  fugitives.  The  whole  country  was  sub- 
merged, and  in  the  centre,  where  the  river  was  deep, 
the  flood  flew,  rather  than  rolled,  with  a  frightful 
rapidity,  whilst  smaller  currents  in  the  shallower 
flood  threw  up  circling  eddies  that  lashed  the  flow 
into  a  swirling  fury  only  less  dangerous  than  the 
velocity  of  the  main  stream. 

Azalim  gazed  in  despair  at  the  scene  before  him. 
To  cross  would  be  certain  destruction.  He  turned 
and  looked  behind,  and  saw  the  Syrians  only  a  few 
hundred  feet  away,  with  death  as  certain  in  their 
keeping,  and  assuredly  slower  and  more  horrible 
than  that  of  the  river.  He  dared  not  decide,  for  the 
life  beside  him  was  far  more  precious  to  him  than 
his  own.    Had  he  been  alone,  he  would  have  rushed 


pursued  loi 

at  the  enemy  and  sold  his  Hfe  dearly.  Let  her 
decide. 

*'  Jezebel,  beloved  of  my  soul !  "  he  cried.  "  What 
sayest  thou  ?    Death  or  surrender  ?  " 

"  Death,"  she  answered,  firmly.  "  There  is  a 
chance  in  death.     None  in  surrender." 

"  Death !  Then  be  it  so,"  he  answered,  and,  turn- 
ing around,  he  kissed  her  lips  in  a  mad  farewell, 
and  put  the  horse  to  the  leap.  The  noble  creature, 
true  to  his  race,  the  first  in  the  animal  world,  swerved 
for  a  moment,  then  gave  a  long,  loud  neigh  and 
plunged  into  the  boiling  flood. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

JERUSALEM 

A  FEW  seconds  later  and  the  Syrians  would  have 
seized  them.  With  impotent  cries  of  disappointment 
the  pursuers  sent  a  shower  of  arrows  after  the 
fugitives,  which,  in  the  wild  aim  of  baffled  anger, 
fell  harmlessly  into  the  water. 

"  Yes,  death,"  murmured  Jezebel.  "  We  at  least 
know  the  worst  of  that." 

Into  the  hell  of  waters  the  three  living  creatures 
had  leapt  and  sank,  and  then  rose  again,  for  they 
were  not  yet  in  the  terrible  master  rush.  Azalim, 
trusting  to  the  instinct  of  the  horse,  flung  the  reins 
on  his  neck,  to  which  he  clung  desperately,  while 
Jezebel  held  on  to  him.  No  doubt  their  weight 
steadied  the  steed,  as  otherwise  he  would  have  been 
overthrown  by  the  force  of  the  water. 

More  than  half-drowned,  they  rushed  on,  and 
Azalim  knew  that  soon  they  would  come  to  rapids 
and  rocks,  where  nothing  could  save  them  from 
being  dashed  to  destruction. 

'  I03 


At  this  moment  of  despair,  they  came  upon  a 
sudden  bend  of  the  river,  and  standing  at  its  cor- 
ner, just  outside  the  main  current,  was  an  enormous 
sycamore,  one  of  whose  giant  limbs  stretched  far 
out  toward  them,  and,  although  half -covered  with 
water,  Azalim  at  once  perceived  it  would  prove 
their  salvation.  "  Off  the  horse !  "  he  cried,  "  and 
spring  on  to  the  tree !  "  and  as  he  spoke  he  set 
the  example,  and  was  floating  in  the  water,  hold- 
ing on  to  one  of  the  sturdy  boughs  which  started 
upwards  from  the  branch. 

Jezebel  had  all  her  senses  alive.  She  had  been 
throughout  as.  cool  as  her  husband,  and  she  also 
was  now  close  by  him,  with  her  arms  tightly  grasp- 
ing a  twin  bough.  They  looked  after  their  brave 
companion,  who  hopelessly  struggled  some  few 
minutes,  then  turned  over  and  sank  like  lead  in 
the  devouring  flood. 

Both  uttered  a  cry  of  pity,  but  their  own  situ- 
ation was  too  critical  to  spend  thought  or  time  on 
any  other  subject.  Jezebel's  swathings  fettered 
her  action,  and  it  was  a  work  of  time  and  danger 
to  reach  the  trunk  of  the  tree  and  climb  into  its 
upper  branches,  which,  however,  was  at  last  suc- 
cessfully effected,  and  they  rested  in  temporary 
safety  in  a  fork  of  the  boughs,  too  utterly  exhausted 
by  submersion  and  fatigue  to  realize  or  apprehend 


104    Hsalfm :  H  "Romance  of  ®l&  ^tt^ea 

the  peril  of  their  position.  After  awhile,  however, 
Azalim  recovered  sufficient  strength  and  sense  to 
look  out  over  the  waste  of  waters  in  hopeless  hope 
—  if  such  a  contradiction  could  be  —  of  discovering 
some  way  of  escape. 

The  tree  in  which  they  had  found  refuge  grew 
on  the  banks  of  the  river,  on  the  Judean  side, 
where  the  flood  stretched  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
see.  There  were  not  many  phases  of  nature  with 
which  Azalim  was  unacquainted,  and  he  perceived 
that,  although  the  stream  at  intervals  was  deep, 
and  moved  with  strong  rapidity,  the  larger  sur- 
face was  comparatively  shallow  and  easy  for  the 
swimmer.  He  could  accomplish  it,  but  Jezebel? 
A  woman  of  the  inland  city  of  Damascus  could  not 
be  expected  to  swim,  and  he  could  not,  in  his  pres- 
ent state,  swim  and  support  her.  No,  he  would 
stay  and  die  with  this  beloved  of  his  soul. 

Presently,  Jezebel  shivered  exceedingly.  The 
sun  was  hot  and  high,  but  they  were  chilled  to  the 
very  marrow  of  their  bones,  and  trembled  with 
the  cold. 

"  Azalim,  my  lover,  my  husband,  my  life,  I  feel 
the  wings  of  the  angel  of  death  fluttering  over  me. 
Is  there  no  escape?  Could  we  not  swhn  across 
this  terrible  lake  ?  "   she  whispered. 

"  Swim  ?    O,  star  of  my  love !  "    he  cried,  even 


Jerusalem  105 

in  his  extremity  addressing  her  in  Oriental  hyper- 
bole.    "  Thou  canst  not  swim  ?  " 

"  Not  swim,"  she  answered.  "  My  father  a 
Sidonian,  and  I  brought  up  in  Tyre.  Not  swim! 
Why,  those  who  live  on  the  seashore  swim  like 
the  fish  under  it.     Yea,  I  can  swim." 

"  I  never  saw  the  sea,"  replied  Azalim,  humbly, 
"  but  if  thou  canst  swim,  O  wife  of  my  love,  we 
are  saved." 

Without  another  word  Jezebel  unwound  the  wrap- 
pings which  enveloped  her,  rolled  them  in  a  bundle, 
and  flung  it  into  the  river,  standing  up  on  the 
bough  ready  for  the  plunge  in  her  undergarments 
of  loose  trousers  and  shirtlike  vest  made  of  linen 
so  exquisitely  fine  as  to  render  it  almost  as  free 
as  muslin  from  the  clogging  of  water. 

"  I  am  ready,  my  lord,"  she  cried,  and  as  she 
spoke  Azalim  sprang  off  into  the  water,  and  like 
a  sea-bird  Jezebel  flew  after  her  mate,  and  skimmed 
rather  than  floated  by  his  side  on  the  surface  of 
the  undulating  waves. 

There  were  not  many  things  this  Phoenician 
woman  —  for  she  was  of  the  race  we  moderns 
term  Phoenician  —  could  not  do.  She  had  been 
taught  all  the  arts  and  sciences  of  her  age,  and 
excelled  in  whatever  it  might  be  that  she  undertook. 

In  a  transport  of  admiration  the  young  husband 


io6    aaaltm :  H  IRomancc  ot  ®l&  5u&ca 

watched  her  graceful,  skilful  movements,  and  was 
about  to  utter  some  enamoured  applause  when  they 
encountered  a  dangerous  eddy  and  deep  water 
beyond,  and  he  had  to  exchange  the  romantic 
homage  of  his  love  for  the  silent  caution  of  action. 

They  reached  dry  land  safely,  and,  seeing  a  vil- 
lage in  the  distance,  made  their  way  to  it,  and  were 
received  with  kindly  care.  Hot  baths  revived 
their  shivering  limbs,  food  restored  their  strength, 
and  then  a  long  rest  and  sleep  renewed  their  over- 
strained brains  and  nerves,  so  that  in  a  day  or  two 
no  ill  effects  remained  from  their  perilous  adven- 
ture. 

But  they  felt  great  anxiety  and  perplexity  as  to 
their  situation.  To  return  to  Syria  was  impossible 
at  present,  as  it  could  not  be  done  without  re- 
crossing  the  Jordan,  and  to  stay  in  the  villages 
would  attract  too  much  observation,  thus  giving 
a  clue  in  case  of  pursuit. 

It  was  about  the  time  of  the  harvest  feast  of 
weeks  at  Jerusalem,  and  the  roadways  were  crowded 
with  companies  going  up  to  the  holy  city;  it  oc- 
curred to  Azalim  that  they  could  not  take  a  better 
step  than  to  join  one  of  these.  He  felt  a  pride  in 
the  thought  of  showing  his  young  wife  the  glories 
of  the  capital  of  his  people,  and  the  singular  beauty 
of  the  temple,   whose   solemn   services   he   hoped 


Jerusalem  107 

might  impress  Jezebel  in.  favour  of  the  worship 
of  Jehovah,  for  Azalim  was  as  yet  true  to  his 
country,  his  rehgion,  and  his  God. 

"  Where  are  all  these  bands  of  men,  women,  and 
children  going?"  inquired  Jezebel,  thus  giving 
him  the  opportunity  he  had  wished,  to  propose  the 
journey. 

"  To  Jerusalem,  the  city  of  the  great  King 
David,"  replied  her  husband.  "  They  are  going 
to  join  the  rejoicings  of  one  of  our  feasts.  The 
city  is  gay  and  crowded,  and  should  I  not  be  proud 
to  see  thee,  thou  fairest  among  women,  eclipse  the 
beauty  of  the  women  of  my  people?  Shall  we  join 
the  companies  ?  " 

"  Yea,"  returned  Jezebel,  pleased  with  the  flat- 
tery and  prospect  of  the  excitement  of  celebrating 
a  feast,  even  if  it  were  an  Israelitish  religious  one. 
"  Let  us  go ;  my  father  will  never  think  we  are 
hiding  in  Jerusalem." 

To  the  City  of  Zion  accordingly  they  went.  They 
had  saved,  in  their  perilous  crossing  of  the  Jordan, 
the  coins  and  gems  which  Jezebel  had  provided, 
having  securely  bound  them  in  their  vests  before 
leaving  the  inn  on  their  attempted  return  to  Damas- 
cus, so  they  felt  no  lack  of  the  attention  and  comfort 
which   money   procures   for   the   traveller. 

Jerusalem  was  astir  with  movement  and  inci- 


io8    Hsaltm :  H  IRomance  ot  Qit>  5u&ea 

dent.  The  inhabitants  threw  open  their  doors  in 
large-hearted  hospitahty,  and  the  greeting  of  friends 
and  kinsfolk  resounded  everywhere.  Jezebel  was 
delighted  with  the  gaiety  and  excitement  of  the 
passing  scene,  and  her  sense  of  beauty  fully  appre- 
ciated the  unique  and  stately  architecture  of  the 
temple  upon  its  commanding  mount,  and  the  neigh- 
bouring situation  of  Mount  Zion,  so  celebrated  in 
the  songs  of  the  royal  poet. 

She  made  no  objection  to  her  husband's  proposal 
to  attend  the  temple  worship.  They  parted  at  the 
entrance,  for  although  a  separate  court  for  the 
women  was  not  set  aside  until  the  great  temple 
restoration  by  King  Herod,  yet  in  the  original 
building  of  Solomon,  they  assembled  separately 
from  the  men,  occupying  the  precincts  and  the  corri- 
dors adjoining  the  g^eat  central  courts  where  the 
men  prayed.  The  Levites  sang  and  the  priests 
oflFered  the  sacrifices  and  incense  to  the  Lord  of 
Hosts. 

It  was  the  time  of  the  offering  of  the  morning 
sacrifice,  and,  despite  her  dislike,  prejudice,  and 
unbelief  in  the  God  of  the  Hebrews,  Jezebel  was 
awed  and  moved  by  the  noble  simplicity  and  maj- 
esty of  the  worship,  its  rites,  and  attendant  cere- 
monies. With  heathen  habits,  which  could  neither 
pray  to  nor  praise  her  gods  without  incessant  move- 


Jerusalem  109 

ments  and  gestures  of  the  body  before  some  visible 
presence,  she  felt  baffled  and  disappointed,  when 
invited  to  join  the  congregation,  not  to  distinguish 
an  image,  an  idol,  or  a  picture  before  which  she 
could  worship,  and  she  was  utterly  at  a  loss  as  to 
what  or  to  whom  she  should  address  her  adoration. 

There  was  the  golden  seven-branched  candle- 
stick, but  even  Jezebel  could  not  pray  to  a  can- 
dlestick. There  was  the  altar  of  sacrifice,  the  altar 
of  incense,  the  brazen  laver,  but  no,  they  were  not 
gods.  Then  her  eye  fell  upon  the  curtains  veiling 
the  holy  place,  and  she  wondered  what  mystery 
was  behind  them.  No  doubt  the  great  image  of 
Jehovah  was  there,  and  on  special  occasions  the 
veil  was  withdrawn  and  all  the  world  fell  down 
and  worshipped  the  image,  which,  of  course,  like 
Baal's,  was  of  gold.  Then  she  caught  sight  of  the 
embroidered  cherubim  on  the  curtains.  Ah!  there 
at  last  was  something!  and  she  began  demonstrat- 
ing and  genuflexing  to  these  portraitures  until  the 
angry  looks  and  whispered  words  of  the  women 
around,  who  had  not  viewed  the  presence  of  the 
beautiful  Moabitish  woman,  as  they  styled  her, 
with  favour,  silenced  her  effusion. 

When  the  service  of  song  and  praise  began, 
Jezebel  wondered,  admired,  and  yet  disapproved. 
This  was  sustained  by  men's  voices  only,  trained 


iio    a3alim:  H  IRomance  ot  ®lt)  Jubea 

to  the  most  finished  perfection  of  solo  melody  and 
part  harmony.  No  high,  clear  treble  of  boys* 
voices.  No  shrill,  sweet  soprano  of  women  min- 
gled with  the  majestic  volume  of  the  rolling  echoes 
as  the  processions  of  divine  praise  passed  by,  or  in 
the  choruses  grouped  around  the  altar.  The  sing- 
ers materially  and  musically  went  before  and  the 
minstrels  followed  after,  supporting  and  accompany- 
ing, but  never  drowning  the  voices.  The  angels 
might  have  listened  and  thought  for  once  that  music 
was  not  a  lost  art  upon  this  earth. 

They  were  all  Levites,  the  sons  of  Asaph  and 
of  song,  this  magnificent  choir.  All  Levites,  too, 
these  consummately  skilled  performers  on  the  musi- 
cal instruments.  Clothed,  every  man  of  them,  in 
pure  linen,  clean  and  white  from  their  heads  to 
their  feet.  Men,  too,  of  such  fine  port  and  appear- 
ance, there  was  not  a  king  then  reigning  but  would 
have  coveted  to  see  such  men  marching  before 
him  to  battle. 

Jezebel  stamped  her  foot  and  frowned  her  brow. 
She  could  not  deny  the  splendour  of  the  music. 
Yes,  splendour,  for  it  seemed  to  express  colour, 
light,  the  varied  radiance  of  a  rainbow,  the  phan- 
tasm of  a  happy  dream,  the  march  of  a  triumphant 
army,  the  devotion  of  a  martyr,  the  exaltation  of 


Jerusalem  m 

a  saint.  Why  should  Jehovah  have  all  this,  and 
Baal  — 

Yet  she  reasoned  she  liked  the  music  of  Baal 
better.  The  clash  of  the  deafening  noise  of  sack- 
buts  and  cymbals  and  the  sensuous  voices  of  women 
and  boys  was  pleasanter  than  these  severe  sounds 
which  made  the  hearer  feel  as  though  she  desired 
to  be  a  better,  or,  at  least,  a  different  woman.  No, 
the  worship  of  Jehovah  as  interpreted  by  its  music 
would  not  suit  her. 

When  the  high  priest  appeared,  and  with  the 
attendant  priests,  his  sons,  offered  the  sacrifice  and 
prepared  the  incense,  which  only  the  consecrated 
family  dared  to  present,  Jezebel  again  experienced 
the  same  conflicting  feelings.  She  was  angry  at 
the  favourable  impression  made,  and  yet  all  the 
while  she  disliked  and  had  no  proclivity  toward 
the  ritual  of  the  homage  to  Jehovah. 

"  A  lamb,"  she  said  to  herself,  "  a  poor,  weak, 
hapless  creature  to  be  offered  to  a  god.  Why, 
Moloch  would  thunder  his  wrath  upon  us,  if  he 
had  not  his  share  of  living  infants  amongst  our 
sacred  presentations  to  Baal!  I  would  not  be  the 
priest  who  spared  his  gashes  when  the  leaping 
rushes  on  his  altars  are  made,"  and  Jezebel  laughed 
with  pleasure  as  she  recalled  this  horrid  rite,  for 
she  was  cruel  of  nature  and  of  heart,  and  would 


"2    Hsalim:  H  IRomance  of  ®l^  5tt^ea 

have  applauded  the  scenes  of  a  Spanish  bull-fight, 
and  turned  down  her  thumb  for  a  gladiator's  death 
in  the  Coliseum  had  she  been  a  vestal. 

When  she  joined  her  husband  in  an  outer  ves- 
tibule, which  led  to  the  chambers  assigned  to  the 
officiating  priests  and  Levites,  Azalim,  whose  whole 
being  had  been  entranced  and  uplifted  by  the  solemn 
services,  all  the  more  impressive  from  their  extreme 
simplicity,  asked  Jezebel  what  she  thought  of  the 
temple  worship,  and,  knowing  her  love  of  precious 
stones,  inquired  if  she  did  not  admire  the  brilliant 
radiance  of  those  in  the  breastplate  of  the  high 
priests. 

"  Yea,  they  are  well  enough,"  she  retorted,  with 
something  like  a  sneer,  "  but  the  eyes  in  the  great 
image  of  Baal  at  Baalbec  shine  brighter  than  they." 

"  But  life  of  my  soul,"  returned  Azalim,  troubled 
at  her  indifference,  "  thou  must  allow  that  not  a 
god  in  Syria  receives  such  pure  and  fragrant  incense 
as  that  which  arose  from  the  altar  of  our  temple, 
and  was  wafted  by  the  censers  of  our  priests." 

"  Yes,  too  pure  and  too  fragrant  for  me  and  my 
gods,"  she  assented.  "  Give  me  the  pungent  de- 
lirious incense  of  Baal,  which  intoxicates  like  new 
wine,  and  makes  us  feel  like  the  gods  themselves." 

"  And  leaves  a  sickening  sense  of  staleness,"  said 
Azalim. 


Jerusalem  "3 

"  Never  think  of  after  consequences,"  remarked 
Jezebel.    "  It  spoils  the  present." 

"  Surely,  thou  hast  never  heard  singing  more 
worthy  of  thy  gods,  Jezebel,"  continued  Azalim, 
not  perceiving,  in  his  eagerness  to  obtain  some 
commendation  of  the  temple  worship,  that  the 
subject  was  distasteful  to  his  companion. 

"  I  was  so  much  occupied  in  observing  thee, 
Azalim,"  she  said,  "  that  I  had  no  time  or  thought 
for  music  or  ceremonies." 

Azalim's  eyes  lighted  up  with  pleasure  at  this 
speech  of  his  bride,  but  his  gratified  vanity  and 
affection  was  speedily  quenched. 

"  I  did  not  know,  as  I  watched  thee,"  she  con- 
tinued, in  a  mocking  tone,  "  whether  the  most  to 
admire  your  devotion  or  to  wonder  where  you 
found  its  object.  Not  the  smallest  image  of  a  god 
could  I  see.  From  thy  earnest  gaze,  my  bride- 
groom, I  supposed  thou  wert  seeking  vainly  for  thy 
God  in  space." 

As  she  spoke,  a  grave,  dignified  Levite,  in  his 
white,  flowing  robe,  passed.  He  heard  the  latter 
part  of  her  speech,  and  said : 

"  Not  vainly,  daughter  of  the  stranger.  The 
Lord  God  of  Israel  fills  all  space." 

Then  he  passed  on,  and  Jezebel,  with  a  lowering 
brow,  angp-ily  noted  the  rebuke. 


"4    H3altm:  a  IRomance  of  ®l^  3u&ca 

"  Come  away,"  said  Azalim,  laying  his  hand  on 
her  arm.  "  We  have  no  right  here.  These  are  the 
chambers  of  the  Levites;  none  else  are  permitted 
the  entrance." 

"  Thy  priests  are  not  sacred  to  me,"  retorted  his 
bride.  "  Let  us  see  how  they  would  suit  the 
prophets  of  Baal ! "  and  before  Azalim  could  stop 
her,  she  had  opened  the  door  nearest  to  her  and 
entered. 

It  was  a  small  room,  ascetic  enough  for  a  me- 
diaeval monk,  plainly  furnished  like  the  prophet's 
chamber,  with  a  bed,  a  stool,  a  table,  and  a  candle- 
stick. Nothing  else,  save  a  manuscript  copy  of 
the  law  of  Moses  on  the  table  and  a  scroll  fastened 
to  the  wall,  on  which  the  ten  commandments  were 
inscribed,  and  before  which  knelt  a  youth  on  the 
verge  of  earliest  manhood,  the  charm  of  whose 
countenance,  singularly  attractive  from  its  frank 
ingenuousness  of  expression,  was  greatly  enhanced 
in  interest  by  the  intense,  yet  quiet  earnestness  with 
which  he  regarded  the  scroll,  as  his  lips  moved  in 
silent  supplication,  apparently  too  deeply  felt  to  be 
audibly  spoken. 

He  was  too  completely  absorbed  to  hear  the 
opening  of  the  door,  or  to  be  conscious  of  the 
entrance  of  the  intruders,  when,  suddenly,  a  woman's 
laugh  close  beside  him  caused  him  to  start  up  from 


Jerusalem  us 

his  knees,  for  it  was  so  full  of  amusement  and  ridi- 
cule it  cut  him  like  a  lash.  He  turned  around, 
confused  and  flushed,  to  face  a  woman  of  a  startlingf, 
dazzling  beauty  which  might  have  belonged  to  the 
goddess  Ashtaroth  of  Israel's  heathen  neighbours. 

"  Is  this  thy  god,"  said  Jezebel,  mockingly,  "  or 
is  it  a  letter  from  him  promising  gold  and  silver 
and  flocks  and  herds,  fair  maidens,  and  success 
in  war?  None  too  little  to  reward  such  a  devotee 
of  prayer  as  I  saw  in  thy  face,  fair  youth.  May 
I  read  the  message  ?  " 

He  did  not  answer,  but  stood  gazing  upon  her 
as  though  scarcely  comprehending  what  he  saw 
or  what  she  said. 

"Thou  shalt  not!  Thou  shalt  not!"  she  read, 
with  a  fragment  of  the  same  laugh  at  the  end  of 
each  sentence.  "  What  a  hard  god  is  thine !  Mine 
is  more  indulgent.  His  name  is  Baal,  and  he  says 
'  Thou  shalt '  to  everything  I  desire  to  have  or 
to  do.  Say,  is  not  mine  a  pleasanter  god  than 
thine?" 

The  blush  of  false  shame  and  moral  cowardice 
deepened  upon  the  smooth,  young  cheek  and  brow. 
He  could  not  speak. 

"  Thou  hast  not  a  word  to  say  for  thy  god  then, 
who  denies  thee  all  pleasant  things.  Perhaps  I 
wrong  him,   and   it   is  thy   mother  who   tells  her 


"6    Hsalim:  H  IRomance  of  ®l^  Jubea 

darling  he  *  shall  not.'  Tell  me,  thou  fair  and 
comely  youth,  where  hath  she  hid  thy  swaddling 
clothes?" 

He  looked  angry  now,  so  angry  that  Jezebel 
changed  back  again,  and  said : 

"  'Tis  not  thy  mother,  then,  but  thy  god  after 
all.  Let  us  not  disturb  thee,  fair  lad.  Prostrate 
again  to  this  stern  deity,  if  thou  art  not  ashamed 
to  confess  him  before  one  who,  like  myself,  is  of 
a  strange  people,  and  worships  kinder  gods." 

Was  he  ashamed?  His  face,  his  neck,  his  very 
hands  were  on  fire,  he  hung  his  head  and  turned 
away.  But  he  did  not  again  prostrate  or  kneel, 
he  did  not  confess.  He  stood  rigid  and  silent  as 
the  mocking  woman's  laugh  of  ridicule  rippled 
and  rang  along  the  echoing  courts  as  she  passed 
away  out  of  his  sight  and  hearing. 

Jezebel  speedily  wearied  of  Jerusalem,  and  as 
soon  as  the  fords  of  Jordan  were  passable,  she  per- 
suaded Azalim  to  start  for  Damascus.  They  met 
with  neither  danger  nor  adventure  on  their  journey 
back,  and,  having  invented  a  plausible  story  of 
escape  from  the  robbers,  were  received  with  great 
satisfaction  by  the  eunuch  in  charge,  who  lost  no 
time  in  notifying  the  high  priest  at  Baalbec  of  their 
safe  arrival. 

Ethbaal's  alarm  at  the  abduction  of  his  daugh- 


Jerusalem  n? 

ter  had  been  so  great  that  he  resolved  for  the  future 
to  keep  her  under  his  own  guardianship.  He  ac- 
cordingly gave  up  the  house  in  Damascus,  and 
transferred  his  daughter  to  his  own  home  at  Baal- 
bec.  Amongst  the  personal  attendants  who  accom- 
panied her,  Azalim  was  included.  He  had  been 
greatly  praised  and  richly  rewarded  for  his  sup- 
posed rescue  of  the  captured  maiden,  and  was 
appointed  to  a  high  office  in  the  priest's  family. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 


ZILLAH 


On  a  sunny  slope  at  the  foot  of  one  of  the  moun- 
tains of  Gilead,  a  young  maiden  was  seated  under 
the  shade  of  the  many  trees  which  grew  around 
it,  keeping  her  father's  sheep,  like  Rachel  of  olden 
time. 

She  was  very  fair  to  look  upon,  fairest  among 
the  many  beautiful  daughters  of  her  people,  with 
a  mingled  sweetness  of  disposition  and  firmness 
of  character  which  marked  her  as  gifted  with  more 
enduring  qualities  than  mere  outward  comeliness. 
Yet  it  appeared  as  though  a  cloud  hung  over  her 
heart  as  well  as  on  her  beauty,  for  her  countenance 
was  sad  almost  to  hopelessness,  her  eyes  held  un- 
shed tears,  and  her  lips  quivered  as  though  words 
would  not  come  if  wanted,  and  her  head  and  figure 
drooped  like  a  lily  uppn  whom  a  withering  storm 
of  hail  has  fallen. 

She  was  Zillah,  the  daughter  of  Phanuel,  and 

the  betrothed  bride  of  Azalim,  the  young  Gileadite 

ii8 


Ztllab  "9 

who  had  believed  too  hastily  the  treacherous  tale 
of  her  inconstancy,  and  transferred  his  affection 
and  title  of  husband  to  another  woman,  while,  all 
unconscious  of  the  wrong,  she  was  sorrowing  for 
her  lost  one,  and  praying  the  LxDrd  God  of  Israel 
to  have  pity  on  the  unhappy  prisoner  and  give  him 
favour  in  the  eyes  of  his  captors. 

It  was  six  months  since  the  Syrian  bands  had 
seized  Azalim  and  his  cattle,  and  Zillah  still  mourned 
for  him  as  keenly  as  on  the  day  he  was  carried  off. 

She  happened  to  raise  her  eyes,  and  saw  a  lad 
from  the  house  approaching  her  with  a  letter  in 
his  hand. 

"  What  is  it,  Gad  ?  "  she  inquired  as  he  came  up 
to  her. 

"  A  letter  for  thee,  daughter  of  Phanuel,"  replied 
the  youth,  "  thy  mother  says  it  is  from  the  herds- 
man, and  thou  mightest  desire  to  read  it  alone. 
Issachar,  the  son  of  Boen,  hath  brought  it  from 
Damascus." 

"  Stay  thou  with  the  sheep.  Gad,"  said  Zillah, 
"  and  look  after  the  lads  that  they  do  not  worry 
them,"  —  for  two  young  boys  lay  under  a  tree  in 
attendance  on  Zillah  to  assist  in  driving  and  gather- 
ing, —  "  and  I  will  presently  come  again." 

She  retreated  into  a  grove  of  trees  to  read  her 
letter  in  solitude,  and  when  alone  fell  on  her  knees 


120    H3alim:  H  IRomance  of  ©ID  5ut)ea 

in  thankfulness  too  deep  for  words.  She  tenderly 
kissed  the  superscription,  moistening  it  with  tears 
of  joy,  and  then  with  fingers  trembling  with  de- 
light and  excitement,  she  broke  the  seals,  unwound 
the  cord,  and  read  as  follows : 

"  ZiLLAH,  Daughter  of  Phanuel  :  —  As  thou 
art  the  wife  of  another  man,  and  I  the  husband  of 
another  woman,  I  dare  not,  if  I  would,  speak  to 
thee  now  in  the  words  of  love  which  was  once  the 
only  language  between  us  two.  Zillah!  when  the 
tidings  of  thy  treachery  reached  me,  I  prayed  Jeho- 
vah to  take  away  my  life,  for  what  good  did  it 
do  me  when  thou  hadst  proved  faithless  ?  But  pride 
and  indignation  came  to  help  me,  and  the  daughter 
of  the  stranger  rose  up  and  comforted  me,  and  I 
have  taken  her  to  wife  in  thy  stead,  and  am  con- 
soled. It  is  not  meet  for  an  Israelite  to  bear  malice 
against  a  daughter  of  his  people,  therefore,  Zillah, 
I  bid  thee  Godspeed,  and  pray  that  thou  mayest 
be  happy  with  old  Isaac  of  Gilboa,  that  he  will 
prove  a  faithful  husband  and  thou  a  happy  wife 
and  the  joyful  mother  of  children.  Thy  once  loved 
and  loving  Azalim." 

Zillah  read  these  terrible  lines  through,  not  once 
or  twice  only,  but  she  no  more  comprehended  their 


2;illab  131 

import  than  if  it  had  been  an  hieroglyphic  inscrip- 
tion from  a  mummy  of  old  Egypt.  What  did  it 
mean,  —  this  jumble  of  husbands  and  wives  and 
old  Isaac  and  the  daughter  of  the  stranger  and  the 
treachery  of  herself?     What  could  it  mean? 

She  sank  down  upon  a  bank,  and  again,  with 
more  collected  thought,  read  the  miserable  tidings, 
and  as  she  read,  the  truth  dawned  upon  her.  It 
was  her  lover  who  had  been  faithless.  Either 
through  treachery,  or  because  he  had  been  deceived, 
he  had  deserted  her  and  taken  another.  It  was  all 
over,  inevitably,  irretrievably  over  between  them, 
and  the  love  of  her  life  was  wasted  and  cast  aside; 
it  was  gone  from  her,  and  nothing  would  ever  re- 
store or  replace  it. 

After  a  fortunate  burst  of  passionate  weeping, 
she  washed  her  eyes  and  face  at  a  stream  close  by, 
and  then  returning  to  Gad,  desired  him  to  take  her 
place  for  the  rest  of  the  day,  as  she  was  going  home, 
and  would  not  return. 

She  hurried  to  the  house,  and  finding  her  father 
and  mother,  she  fell  at  her  father's  feet,  and,  while 
the  tears  fell  from  her  eyes  like  rain  upon  the 
ground,  bade  them  read  the  letter. 

Their  grief  and  consternation  were  almost  equal 
to  her  own.  Her  father  —  the  first  to  recover  him- 
self —  said,  "  There  must  have  been  treachery  and 


122    Hsalim:  a  "Komance  of  ©ID  3^uDea 

evil  report  in  this  matter,  and  we  must  strive  to 
discover  it.  I  will  send  at  once  for  Issachar,  who 
brought  the  message  and  has  been  a  prisoner  with 
Azalim  and  other  captives  in  Syria.  Now  I  mind 
me,  he  hath  not  explained  how  it  is  that  he  alone 
obtained  liberty." 

Issachar  obeyed.  A  secret  shame  oppressed  him 
for  the  part  he  had  played,  but  he  had  told  his  lie 
and  received  good  payment  for  the  same,  and  felt 
he  must  abide  by  it.  He  entered  with  a  guileless  ex- 
pression on  his  face  and  affected  surprise  at  his 
summons. 

"  My  son,"  began  Phanuel,  "  we  have  here  a  mes- 
sage from  Azalim,  thy  fellow  prisoner  in  Damascus, 
informing  us  that  my  daughter  Zillah  is  given  in 
marriage  to  old  Isaac  of  Gilboa.  Dost  thou  know 
how  and  from  whom  such  a  false  report  can  have 
arisen  ?  " 

Issachar  pretended  to  reflect.  "  Yes,"  he  re- 
sponded after  a  few  moments.  "  Now  I  think  of 
it,  I  do  recollect  that  the  tidings  came  of  Zillah's 
wedding.  Perchance  —  I  do  not  know  —  but  it 
may  have  been  brought  by  the  old  Ishmaelite  mer- 
chant who  travels  hither.  Yes,  he  did  say  he  had 
been  at  the  wedding-feast." 

"  Impossible,"  cried  Phanuel,  "  were  I  so  base 
as  to  deceive  Azalim,  I  would  never  sacrifice  my 


Ziliab  X33 

daughter  to  an  old  dotard  who  desires  every  maiden 
he  sees  for  a  wife.  But  we  must  counsel  how  to  undo 
this  evil.  Thou  must  contrive  with  me,  my  son, 
to  carry  the  contradiction  of  this  lie  to  Azalim  him- 
self." 

"  But  how  about  this  outlandish  woman  he  has 
taken  to  wife,"  Zillah's  mother  interposed.  "  Who 
is  she  ?  "  turning  to  Issachar. 

"  I  never  heard  of  a  wife,"  returned  Issachar,  now 
honestly  astonished.  "  There  was  a  woman  grand 
and  beautiful  as  a  queen,  and  rich  as  Solomon,  who 
cast  her  eyes  upon  Azalim,  but  she  loved  him  as  great 
ladies  in  Damascus  love  their  slaves,  not  as  a  wife 
her  lawful  husband." 

"  Who  was  she,  I  repeat  ?  "  urged  his  inquirer. 

"  The  daughter  of  one  of  Baal's  highest  priests, 
and  there  was  a  tale  that  she  and  Azalim  fled  away 
together,  and  came  back  pretending  they  had  fallen 
among  thieves." 

"Does  he  love  her?"  whispered  Zillah,  tim- 
idly. 

"  At  first  no,"  replied  Issachar,  and  then  hes- 
itatingly —  "  after  he  heard  of  thy  marriage  with 
old  Isaac,  he  fell  as  it  were  into  her  snares,  and 
Samson  of  old  was  not  more  enslaved  by  the 
Philistine  than  he  is  with  this  Damascene,  but  I 
have  heard  no  word  of  marriage." 


124    Hjalim :  H  IRomance  ot  Qlt>  5u&ea 

"  Well,  my  son,  thou  hast  told  us  enough,  —  nay, 
more  than  enough,"  observed  Phanuel,  mournfully. 
"  The  Lord  do  so  to  them  and  more  also  who  have 
wronged  us  so  bitterly.  Zillah,  come  near,"  he  said, 
and  when  she  did  so,  he  took  her  in  his  arms,  em- 
braced her  tenderly,  and  blessed  her.  Then  he  signed 
to  her  mother  to  take  her  away,  and  entered  into 
an  anxious  consultation  with  Issachar  as  to  the  best 
means  of  disabusing  Azalim's  mind  of  the  false  ru- 
mour of  Zillah's  marriage,  and,  if  possible,  rescuing 
him  from  captivity,  for  Issachar's  strong  conviction 
that  the  fancy  of  the  great  lady  for  the  young  He- 
brew was  of  a  passing  nature  led  Phanuel  to  hope 
that  it  might  be  equally  evanescent  on  the  other  side, 
and,  knowing  the  strong  love  existing  between  his 
daughter  and  her  betrothed  husband,  he  trusted 
in  the  end  all  might  be  brought  right. 

Issachar  displayed  great  zeal  in  the  project,  and 
proposed  many  plans.  It  is  scarcely  needful  to  add 
that  he  took  care  none  of  them  should  succeed. 

Zillah  did  not  fall  sick  or  publicly  display  her 
trouble  by  tears,  lamentations,  or  dejected  bearing. 
She  was  pale  and  quieter  than  usual,  but  she  went 
about  her  duties  as  though  no  storm  had  passed 
over  and  shattered  her  life.  Alone  on  the  hillsides 
with  her  sheep,  good  spirits  came  around  and  en- 
compassed her,  and,  like  another  Joan  of  Arc,  with 


£mab  "S 

a  different  mission,  and  in  truth  with  a  higher  aim, 
she  dreamed  dreams  and  saw  visions. 

So  time  went  on,  and  suitors  came  to  Phanuel 
asking  for  his  daughter  as  wife  for  their  sons  or 
themselves,  and  when  one  more  approved  than  the 
rest  appeared,  the  father  proposed  the  matter  to 
his  child. 

"  My  father,"  she  said,  "  speak  no  more  to  me 
of  marriage.  Jehovah  hath  called  me  to  his  service, 
and  I  own  no  other." 

"  Do  I  hear  aright  ?  "  cried  the  astonished  Phan- 
uel. *'  Dost  thou  mean  to  die  without  having  ful- 
filled the  duties  of  a  true  Hebrew  woman  as  wife 
and  mother?  " 

"  Yea,  my  father.  The  word  of  the  Lord  hath 
come  to  me,  and  the  desire  of  wife  and  mother- 
hood hath  passed  away  from  me." 

"What  wilt  thou  do  then,  my  child?" 

"  After  the  manner  of  our  women,  I  will  bewail 
my  virginity  on  the  mountains,  and  then  go  to  my 
Lord  Elijah,  our  holy  kinsman,  and  pray  him  to 
declare  unto  me  the  will  of  the  God  of  our  fa- 
thers." 

Phanuel  and  his  wife  were  deeply  disappointed, 
but  there  was  a  gentle  persistence  in  Zillah,  and 
a  secret  conviction  in  their  own  minds  of  a  higher 
command  being  laid  upon  their  daughter,  which 


126    Haalim :  H  IRomance  of  ®l&  5u&ea 

checked  any  outward  opposition,  and  before  long 
Zillah  prepared  for  her  vigils  on  the  mountains. 

She  had  a  friend  named  Anah,  young  and  fair 
like  herself,  whose  young  life  had  also  been  blighted 
by  an  unhappy  love.  She  was  like  Zillah  in  not 
being  of  the  light  nature  which  easily  transfers  its 
affections,  and,  like  her  friend,  she  also  felt  a  strong 
vocation  to  enter  the  exclusive  service  of  Jehovah, 
and  elected  to  join  Zillah  in  her  purpose. 

The  morning  of  their  departure  came,  and  Zillah 
and  Anah,  with  their  pitchers  on  their  shoulders 
and  bread  in  their  wallets,  stood  at  the  door  of 
Phanuel's  house,  where,  with  tears  and  blessings, 
the  father  and  mother  bade  them  farewell.  At  a 
little  distance,  the  many  servants  and  dependents 
of  the  rich  man  gathered  in  silent  sorrow,  for  all 
knew  that  the  fair  daughter  of  the  house  was  vowed 
to  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  and  would  return  to  live 
there  no  more.  It  was  even  so,  and  from  that  day 
all  joy  left  the  house  of  Phanuel  and  his  wife. 
Zillah  was  their  only  child;  like  Jephtha,  they 
had  beside  neither  son  nor  daughter.  They  strove 
not  to  grudge  the  gift  they  yielded  rather  than 
offered,  for  it  added  a  pang  to  the  separation  to 
feel  that  they  had  not  sacrificed  it  willingly.  They 
had  not  dared  to  refuse  their  daughter  to  the  Lord, 
but  it  was  not  until  the  close  of  their  lives  that 


£tUab  127 

they  were  able  to  say  with  their  whole  hearts, 
"  Behold,  we  will  come  into  thy  presence  with  the 
free-will  offering  up  of  the  child  that  thou  hast 
given  us." 

For  three  long  months  Zillah  and  Anah  mourned 
upon  the  mountains,  and  in  the  stillness  of  the 
night  the  dwellers  in  the  valleys  would  be  awakened 
and  startled  by  the  long  moans  of  lamentation 
wailing  from  the  summits,  or  echoing  in  the  ravines 
of  the  high  hills  where  the  two  solitary  wanderers 
kept  their  almost  unceasing  watch  and  grievous 
bewailing. 

It  was  not  the  loss  of  wifehood  and  motherhood 
in  themselves  that  they  so  bitterly  lamented.  It 
was  the  forfeit  of  the  crowning  ambition  and  hope 
of  the  Hebrew  women  to  obtain  the  wondrous 
honour  of  giving  birth  to  the  Shiloh  who  was  to 
come  as  the  great  earthly  king  of  the  chosen  race, 
for,  although  already  clearly  foretold,  it  was  as 
yet  but  dimly  understood  by  them  that  the  Messiah, 
when  he  appeared  in  the  flesh,  was  only  to  be  bom 
of  the  royal  line  of  David.  Bareheaded  and  bare- 
footed, they  went  their  way.  The  hot  sun  beat 
by  day  upon  their  unprotected  heads,  and  the  moon 
smote  them  with  her  baleful  beams  by  night.  Tliey 
fasted  from  all  pleasant  food;  they  partook  spar- 
ingly of  bread  and  water  placed  for  them  at  cer- 


128    Hsalim:  a  IRomance  ot  ®lt)  5u&ea 

tain  stations  on  the  mountains,  and  sleep  was  equally 
curtailed.  It  was  a  true  vigil  of  mourning-,  lamen- 
tation, and  woe,  varied  only  by  fasting  and  earnest 
supplications  that  their  sacrifice  might  be  accepted, 
and  their  service  revealed  to  them. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

FOOD  FOR  THE  LEPER !  FOOd! 

Lying  near,  but  not  adjoining  the  great  deserts, 
there  spread  another,  not  of  the  same  immense 
extent,  but  yet  so  large  and  wide,  and  so  utterly- 
desolate  and  barren,  as  to  be  shunned  in  terror 
by  all  travellers  on  account  of-  its  bad  reputation 
and  dangerous  localities.  Evil  spirits  were  believed 
to  haunt  its  rocky  recesses,  and  the  progeny  of 
the  fiery  flying  serpent  lurked  amidst  its  sands. 
Not  one  drop  of  water  existed  within  its  whole 
extent,  and  no  beast  of  prey  cared  to  prowl  where 
there  was  no  life  save  that  of  the  reptile  to  furnish 
him  with  food. 

No  animal  life,  no,  —  but  there  was  human  life, 
for  on  its  borders  the  miserable  leper  made  his 
habitation.  His  awful  cry,  "Unclean!  unclean!" 
resounded  far  over  the  pleasant  land  adjoining, 
where  the  olive  grew  and  the  vine  clung,  and  but- 
ter and  honey  and  corn  and  wine  were  plentiful, 

but  from  which  he  was  for  ever  banished. 

129 


13°    Baalim :  H  IRomance  ot  ®lt)  5u&ea 

We  of  this  twentieth  century  still  suffer  a  few 
cureless  diseases,  but  the  worst  of  these  are  but 
as  specks  on  a  white  garment  compared  to  the 
original  leprosy  from  which,  probably,  our  cancer- 
ous germs  are  derived,  for  this  disease  resembled 
the  same  garment  soiled  from  head  to  hem  with 
an  uncleansable  defilement.  The  blood  that  ran 
through  the  veins,  the  marrow  that  filled  the  bones, 
the  flesh  that  covered  them,  and  the  awful  white 
of  the  skin  that  encased  this  living  epitome  of  the 
grave,  —  all  bore  the  marks  of  the  most  deadly 
infliction  that  ever  fell  upon  the  mortal  frame  of 
humanity. 

The  dread  of  their  vicinity,  their  approach,  or 
even  appearance,  affected  the  untainted  with  a  kind 
of  madness,  not  altogether  without  cause.  The 
slightest  touch  was  contagion,  the  breath  of  their 
very  sigh  infection,  and  so  loathsome  was  the  sight 
of  their  bodies  that  it  was  known  to  give  a  shock 
to  the  beholder  that  inoculated  the  disease  in  him, 
whilst  the  dwelling  inhabited  by  a  leper  had  to  be 
pulled  down  as  dangerous  for  healthy  habitation. 
The  very  beasts  shunned  their  neighbourhood,  and 
would  not  come  near  their  persons. 

Small  wonder  that  the  lepers,  in  their  turn, 
shrank  from  communion  with  their  fellows.  Hu- 
miliated, wounded,  and  crushed  in  spirit,  they  were 


ifoot)  for  tbe  Xeper!   dfooM        i3« 

as  eager  to  fly  from  the  uninfected  as  the  latter 
were  to  escape  from  them,  and  the  doleful  cry  of 
"  Unclean !  unclean !  "  sounded  without  fail,  when- 
ever a  leper  perceived  any  living  being  within  sight. 

This  desert  was  a  refuge  for  these  miserable 
creatures.  Here  they  could  gather  together  with- 
out fear  of  molestation,  safe  from  the  stabs  of  scorn 
and  repulsion.  In  this  desolation  they  were  in 
security,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  they  were  exposed 
to  its  consequent  privations,  and  many  among 
them  perished  from  neglect  and  starvation. 

A  highroad  traversed  this  region,  now  touching 
the  borders  of  the  desert,  and  again  stretching 
across  the  fertile  country  that  bounded  it.  This 
highway  was  much  frequented,  as  it  connected  many 
towns  and  villages,  and  was,  indeed,  the  chief 
roadway  of  the  province. 

Not  far  from  this  great  artery  of  travel,  a  narrow 
pathway  led  to  a  spot  held  sacred  by  all  the  Israel- 
ites, who  still  retained  the  faith  and  traditions  of 
their  fathers.  It  was  an  altar  which  had  been 
built  and  dedicated  to  Jehovah  by  one  of  the 
patriarchs  during  his  wanderings.  Here,  on  the 
Sabbaths  and  high  festivals  ordained  by  the  law 
of  Moses,  the  faithful  were  wont  to  assemble  to 
worship  the  God  of  Israel.  They  met  in  secret 
like  the  sturdy  Covenanters  of   Scotland,  or  the 


132    asalim :  H  IRomance  of  ©ID  3u&ea 

Huguenots  of  Cevennes,  for  the  golden  calf  was 
at  this  time  Israel's  established  religion,  and  perse- 
cution of  the  truth  its  natural  result. 

This  altar,  known  by  the  name  El  Rilboa,  was 
situated  on  a  small  plateau  with  a  background  of 
wooded  hills,  and  commanded  an  exclusive  prospect 
of  the  country  below  with  the  illimitable  desert  on  the 
one  side  and  the  fertile  country  on  the  other. 

An  hour  or  so  before  midday  two  veiled  women 
waited  at  the  door  of  the  house  of  Elijah  the 
prophet  and  gave  as  their  message  their  desire  to 
inquire  of  the  Lord.  On  being  admitted  they  made 
low  obeisance  before  the  holy  man  and  awaited  his 
greeting  in  silence. 

"  Daughters  of  Israel,"  he  addressed  them,  "  what 
seek  ye?  and  what  counsel  or  help  do  ye  desire  at 
my  hand  ?  " 

The  foremost  of  the  two  raised  her  veil.  "  My 
Lord  Elijah,"  she  said,  "  behold  me  the  daughter 
of  Phanuel  thy  kinsman,  once  "  —  her  voice  faltered 
— "  the  betrothed  wife  of  thy  brother-in-law  and 
adopted  son,  Azalim  the  son  of  Shinar  —  and  I  and 
my  friend  here  by  my  side  are  come  to  hear  from 
thee  the  will  of  God  concerning  us." 

The  prophet's  brow  grew  dark.  "  True,"  he  re- 
plied, coldly,  "  thou  art  the  daughter  of  Phanuel  and 


ifoob  tor  tbe  Xeperl   foo^t        133 

wast  the  betrothed  of  AzaHm,  but  thou  hast  not  said 
that  thou  art  now  the  wife  of  Isaac,  of  Gilboa." 

"  Nay,  my  lord,  not  so,"  she  answered,  humbly, 
"  I  am  no  wife ;  scarce  a  moon  hath  passed  since 
I  returned  with  this  my  companion  from  bewailing 
our  virginity  on  the  mountains.  We  have  vowed 
to  give  ourselves  as  servants  of  the  most  high  God 
and  seek  his  will  at  thy  mouth  as  to  how  we  can  best 
serve  him." 

Elijah  was  troubled.  Was  this  true?  He  could 
not  doubt  her;  and  if  so,  what  had  he  done?  De- 
ceit truly  there  must  have  been,  but  with  whom? 
With  Azalim?  No,  he  could  not  believe  that,  and 
yet  — 

"  Kinswoman,"  he  said,  after  a  short  pause,  and 
with  a  gentle  tenderness  that  seemed  in  strange  keep- 
ing with  his  usual  stem  manner  and  rugged  appear- 
ance, "  I  would  fain  believe  that  neither  Phanuel 
nor  thyself  have  acted  basely  in  this  matter,  and  yet 
it  was  from  the  lips  of  Azalim  himself  I  learnt  that 
Isaac  had  taken  thee  to  wife." 

"  Alas !  My  lord,"  responded  Zillah,  sadly,  "  it 
was  from  Azalim  also  that  I  received  not  only  the 
false  accusation  of  my  marriage  but  the  message  that 
he  had  replaced  me  by  wedding  the  daughter  of  the 
stranger." 


134    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  ot  ®l&  5u&ca 

"  How  did  he  convey  this  message  to  thee  ?  "  de- 
manded the  prophet. 

"  By  letter,  at  the  hand  of  Issachar,  the  son  of 
Boen,  my  lord." 

Again  Elijah  paused  and  thought  of  treachery; 
but  he  had  received  an  assent  from  Jehovah  to  the 
marriage  of  his  adopted  son  to  an  idolater,  and 
Azalim  had  sworn  before  him  never  in  life  to  annul 
the  union.  The  act  was  done;  it  could  not  be  un- 
done, and  further  question  or  discussion  of  the 
subject  would  only  open  afresh  the  wound  his  young 
kinswoman  had  received,  so  with  even  a  still  kinder 
accent  of  sympathy,  he  said : 

"  The  God  of  Israel  take  pity  on  thee,  my  daugh- 
ter, and  bestow  upon  thee  a  husband  seven  times 
more  worthy  of  thy  love." 

"  No,  my  lord,"  replied  Zillah,  firmly,  "  the  happi- 
ness of  wife  and  mother  is  as  lost  to  me  as  though 
I  already  lay  in  my  grave-clothes,  the  bride  of  death, 
I  am  vowed  only  to  the  Lord  God  of  our  fathers, 
and  I  and  my  friend,  who  is  bound  by  the  same  vows, 
come  to  thee  to  declare  the  service  he  will  accept 
from  us." 

"  And  be  thy  gift  both  blessed  and  accepted  by 
him,"  returned  the  prophet.  "  Meet  me  at  the  altar 
of  El  Rilboa  on  the  eve  of  the  next  Sabbath.  Bring 
with  you  a  living  and  unblemished  lamb  of  the  first 


jfoo&  tor  tbe  Xeperl    foot)!        13s 

year.  Spend  the  interval  in  supplication  and  prayer, 
and  then  will  I  declare  unto  you  both  the  will  of 
Jehovah.  Until  then,  take  my  blessing  and  depart 
in  peace." 

At  the  appointed  time  Zillah  and  Anah  repaired  to 
the  altar,  taking  with  them  a  spotless  lamb  of  the 
flock  which  the  prophet  received  from  their  hands, 
killed,  and  prepared  ready  for  sacrifice. 

But  in  doing  this,  he  did  not  arrogate  to  himself 
the  office  of  the  consecrated  sons  of  Aaron.  The 
ceremonies  ordained  in  the  temple  offering  were  not 
followed  by  Elijah.  His  method  of  sacrifice  was  the 
sign  manual  of  his  prophetic  mission  to  a  revolted 
people  who  had  rejected  the  temple  worship  and 
despised  its  priests,  and  yet  were  not  as  yet  left 
without  a  teacher  and  a  witness. 

The  lamb  lay  lifeless  on  the  altar.  The  praise 
was  offered.  The  prayer  was  said  and  the  two 
maidens  waited  in  expectancy  to  see  the  prophet 
apply  the  fire  which  should  send  its  flame  and  smoke 
in  upward  homage  to  the  Most  High.  But  Elijah 
made  no  sign.  He  stood  as  if  entranced  at  some 
distance  from  the  altar  with  his  gaze  bent  steadfastly 
upon  it.  They  looked  around  to  see  if  the  fire  were 
prepared,  and  then  perceived  that  there  was  no 
brazier  or  light  upon  the  altar  or  anywhere  in  sight. 

Suddenly  a  light  shone  above  them,  and  it  ap- 


136    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  of  ®l&  5u&ea 

peared  to  the  two  startled  and  awestruck  women 
that  a  cloud  had  suddenly  opened,  and  from  it  a 
tongue  of  flame  fell  like  a  lightning  flash  upon  the 
altar;  instantly  a  consuming  fire  played  upon  the 
sacrifice  and  then  as  rapidly  ascended  from  whence 
it  came,  leaving  only  a  small  heap  of  gray  ash. 

Elijah  wrapped  his  face  in  his  mantle  when  the 
fire  reascended;  the  young  maidens  fell  upon  their 
knees,  and  the  three  remained  awhile  in  silent  prayer. 

At  last  the  prophet  broke  this  silence.  "  Behold, 
O  daughters  of  Israel,"  he  cried,  "  Jehovah  has 
accepted  your  offering,  and  lo !  as  at  the  first  sacri- 
fice offered  by  Abel  at  the  beginning  of  our  race,  the 
fire  of  the  living  God  hath  descended  upon  it. 
Henceforward,  ye  shall  be  the  virgin  daughters  of 
the  King  of  Kings ! 

"  Yea,  and  more  also,"  continued  Elijah,  taking 
from  beneath  his  robe  a  horn  of  oil  and  holding  it 
above  their  kneeling  figures  and  bowed  heads, 
"  Ye  shall  be  consecrated  as  the  chosen  handmaids 
of  the  Most  High  to  fulfil  his  will  from  this  time 
forth  until  the  end  that  hath  no  end." 

He  poured  the  anointing  oil  upon  their  heads, 
which  bent  yet  lower  in  holy  humility  and  the  ecstatic 
rapture  of  celestial  love. 

When  the  two  consecrated  maidens  rose  from  their 
knees,  Zillah  approached  the  prophet,  and  said : 


3foo&  tor  tbe  Xeperl   3foo&t        137 

"  My  Lord  Elijah,  do  we,  thy  handmaids,  pre- 
sume when  we  desire  to  know  the  will  of  the  Lord 
concerning  us?  " 

"  Keep  your  souls  in  patience,"  was  Elijah's 
answer,  "  Ye  shall  not  leave  this  place  until  thy 
work   is   revealed." 

For  awhile  silence  reigned  around  that  solitary 
altar,  and  then  it  was  broken  by  the  noise  of  a  com- 
pany below  on  the  highroad  hastening  to  reach  the 
next  village  before  sunset  ushered  in  the  Sabbath, 
for  its  observance  in  this  respect  still  survived  the 
general  irreligion  of  the  country.  As  they  passed 
below,  another  sound  broke  out  from  the  direction 
of  the  desert,  a  long,  loud,  doleful  cry  of  "  Unclean ! 
Unclean!" 

They  looked  toward  the  desert  and  saw  some 
ten  or  twelve  unhappy  lepers  running  and  leaping 
toward  the  highroad,  and  as  they  ran  they  varied 
their  cry  with  another,  "  Food  for  the  leper ! 
Food !  " 

They  were  nearly  starving,  these  miserable  vic- 
tims, for  they  were  poor,  and  how  could  a  leper  earn 
his  bread  when  none  dared  employ  him.  The  rich, 
when  visited  by  this  horrible  disease,  dwelt  in  their 
own  separate  houses,  and,  although  under  social  and 
domestic  ban,  commanded  all  the  bodily  necessities 
and  comforts  money  can  procure.    But  the  poor,  the 


138    asalim :  a  IRomance  of  ®l&  5u&ea 

man  who  is  destitute,  what  must  it  have  been  for 
him,  whose  very  vicinity  meant  disease  and  death. 

Has  the  reader  ever  seen  a  stampede  of  wild 
cattle?  Probably  he  has  not.  Has  he  ever  witnessed 
a  panic  of  frightened  humanity?  Possibly  he  has 
done  so.  Then  he  will  understand  the  confusion  and 
flight  of  the  travellers  who  beheld  this  group  of 
loathsome,  dangerous  men  come  in  sight.  They 
lashed  their  stubborn  asses.  They  urged  on  their 
sullen  camels.  They  uttered  cries  of  alarm  and  anger 
and  impeded  the  onward  progress  of  their  compan- 
ions by  their  frantic  rush,  and  although  distant,  the 
lepers  continued  parallel  with  their  flight,  wailing 
their  doleful  cry,  "  Unclean !  Unclean !  "  varied  by 
the  maddening  one,  "  Food  for  the  lepers !  Food  1 
Food!    Food!" 

Some  of  the  more  kindly  of  the  flying  crowd  cast 
bread  and  meat  behind  them  as  they  escaped,  and  on 
this  the  lepers  fell  like  famished  wolves,  tearing 
and  eating  as  they  leapt  along  the  desert  border.  At 
last  the  passers-by  were  lost  to  view,  and  then  the 
lepers,  having  cleared  the  road  of  the  provisions 
thrown  them,  retreated  once  more  into  the  desert, 
uttering  their  melancholy  warning,  "  Unclean !  Un- 
clean ! "  and  their  howl  of  hunger,  "  Food  for  the 
leper!    Food!" 

Elijah  turned  to  Zillah.     "  Behold  thy  service," 


foot)  tor  tbe  Xeper!   fooM        139 

he  said.  "  The  Lord  Gcxl  hath  given  his  lepers 
unto  thy  care." 

"  How  shall  I  serve?  What  can  we  do?  "  replied 
Zillah,  perplexed  and  uncertain.  "  O  my  lord, 
instruct  as  to  the  manner  of  this  service." 

"  Go,  handmaids  of  Jehovah !  and  at  each  step 
his  spirit  shall  direct  you.  Only  desire  to  serve 
with  singleness  of  heart  and  your  way  shall  be 
aright.    Go  in  peace !  " 

Zillah  went  back  to  her  father  and  told  him  all 
that  had  happened,  and  of  her  vow  and  its  accept- 
ance. Neither  her  father  nor  mother  offered  any 
obstacle  to  her  dedication,  and  Phanuel,  who  had 
received  private  instructions  from  Elijah,  bestowed 
upon  his  daughter  the  same  large  dowry  destined 
for  her  marriage  with  Azalim.  Zillah  well  con- 
sidered her  plans,  and  having  sought  counsel  and 
aid  from  the  elders  of  her  people,  proceeded  with- 
out loss  of  time  to  execute  them. 

With  assistance,  she  obtained  land  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  altar  of  El  Rilboa,  which  she  laid  out  in 
gardens  and  vineyards,  and  upon  which  she  built 
a  house.  She  then  raised  a  long  line  of  shelters 
in  the  desert  facing  the  north,  and  protected  be- 
hind the  shadow  of  great  rocks.  A  little  beyond, 
a  stone  tower  held  a  bell  which,  when  rung,  sounded 
far  over  desert  and  plain,  and  was  answered  by  an- 


I40    Hsalim:  H  "Romance  of  ®l^  5u&ca 

other  from  a  turret  in  Zillah's  house.  When  all 
these  erections  were  finished,  the  whole  was  com- 
pleted by  a  small  building  placed  at  an  angle  close  to 
the  main  road  where  several  others  crossed  it.  It 
consisted  of  one  room  only,  in  the  door  of  which 
a  shutter  opened  inwards,  and  below  this  opening 
a  network  of  fine  wire  received  without  damage  all 
that  might  be  thrown  within.  Over  the  portal 
was  the  inscription  in  letters  of  brass: 

"In  the  Name  of  God!  Food  for  the  Leper! 
Food!" 

There  was  never  any  failure  of  supply.  No, 
not  once.  In  early  morning  the  bell  rang  from 
Zillah's  turret,  and  an  answering  succession  of 
strokes  pealed  forth  from  the  tower  of  the  wilder- 
ness, giving  notice  of  the  number  of  lepers  who 
were  ready  for  the  noonday  meal  to  be  prepared 
for  them. 

The  family  of  Zillah  and  Anah  consisted  of  a 
deaf  and  dumb  youth  who  was  the  hewer  of  wood 
and  drawer  of  water  for  the  household.  A  wise 
woman,  who  from  early  widowhood  had  devoted 
her  life  to  the  mixing  of  potions  and  ointments 
for  the  sick  and  poor,  and  was  nearly  as  wise  as 
Solomon  himself  in  the  knowledge  of  herbs  and 
their  properties,  joined  the  family  of  Zillah  in 
serving  the  lepers.     If  her  balsams  and  draugiits 


3fooC>  for  tbe  Xeperl    jfooM        141 

did  not  cure  the  dreadful  disease,  they  certainly 
alleviated  it.  Besides  these,  a  man  and  his  wife 
lived  close  by,  literally  in  a  "  lodge  in  her  garden 
of  cucumbers."  He  acted  as  an  overseer  of  the  little 
estate  of  stock  and  produce  which  maintained 
Zillah's  home,  hiring  labourers  as  needed,  and  other- 
wise directing  the  farm  whilst  his  wife  assisted  in 
the  business  of  the  house. 

When  the  strokes  from  the  desert  bell  had  been 
counted,  Zillah,  Anah,  and  Zulph,  the  deaf  and 
dumb  lad,  proceeded  to  the  depot  on  the  highway, 
unlocked  the  door  and  withdrawing  the  contribu- 
tions, placed  them  in  the  panniers  on  the  mules  they 
had  brought  with  them. 

The  provisions  thus  supplied  consisted  chiefly 
of  loaves  of  bread,  cheeses,  flesh  baked  or  dried  in 
the  sun,  pressed  cakes  of  figs  and  raisins,  with  the 
pungent  vegetables,  such  as  leek,  onions,  and  garlic, 
so  valued  in  hot  climates.  All  these  lay  in  generous 
abundance  on  the  wired  grating. 

It  was  remarkable  that  each  day's  supply  was 
exactly,  yet  liberally,  apportioned  to  the  varying 
number  of  the  leper  guests  from  the  desert.  Were 
they  many  or  were  they  few,  this  strange  com- 
missariat never  perceptibly  exceeded  and  never 
visibly  ran  short.     It  seemed  to  be  an  anticipatory 


142    asalim :  a  IRomance  of  ®15  5u&ea 

fulfilment  of  the  phrase  in  the  all-comprehensive 
prayer,  "  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread !  " 

Then  the  work  of  preparation  began ;  by  noon  the 
meal  was  spread  upon  the  tables  where  the  guests 
had  laid,  according  to  their  number,  the  cups  and 
platters  of  metal  provided  for  them.  Zillah,  Anah, 
and  Zulph,  who  brought  the  food,  tied  plantain  and 
gourd  leaves  around  their  hands  and  feet  to  avoid 
contagion,  and  quickly  filling  the  pitchers  with  water 
and  the  dishes  with  the  meats,  collected  their  own 
utensils,  laid  them  upon  the  mules,  and  returned 
home,  and  it  was  not  until  the  turret  bell  had  given 
notice  of  their  having  reached  it  that  the  lepers 
gathered  to  their  feast. 

Thus  Zillah  performed  her  service  of  love  to  man, 
and  devotion  to  God,  from  the  day  the  storehouse 
on  the  wayside  was  built,  until  that  of  her  death. 


CHAPTER    X. 

BAALBEC 

Change  begets  change,  and  far  more  was  in- 
volved in  the  destinies  of  AzaHm  and  Jezebel  by 
the  transition  to  Baalbec  than  the  mere  material 
difference  of  abode.  It  brought  about  a  transfor- 
mation of  character  and  consequently  of  action, 
which  led  to  events  of  the  greatest  importance  in 
the  lives  of  both. 

Baalbec  was  a  large  and  flourishing  city,  and  by 
right  of  its  mighty  temple  of  the  sun-god  Baal, 
was  the  religious  capital  of  Syria.  The  vast  extent 
of  this  temple  rendered  it  almost  a  city  in  itself, 
and  it  is  scarcely  an  exaggeration  to  say  that  our 
churches,  nay  our  cathedrals,  might  have  been  side 
chapels  within  its  immense  enclosure.  The  beauty 
of  the  pillars  which  supported  the  lofty  roof,  the 
wonderful  flights  of  steps  that  led  up  in  every 
direction,  the  majestic  porticos,  the  marble  inlay- 
ings,  curious  carvings  and  treasures  of  gold  and 
silver  which  filled  the  interior,  rendered  this  huge 

M3 


144    Hsaltm :  H  IRomance  ot  ®l&  5u&ea 

building  the  glory  of  heathendom,  and  made  it  the 
sole  recipient  of  the  title  of  temple  among  the  gods 
of  Western  Asia. 

The  doors  were  never  dosed,  day  or  night.  The 
services,  if  such  we  may  call  them,  never  ceased. 
The  crowds  of  worshippers  rarely  lessened.  At  the 
shrines  of  the  lesser  gods,  the  women  of  the  groves 
sang  their  praises  and  danced  in  their  honour;  at 
the  high  altars  of  Baal,  the  priests  bowed  and 
repeated  incessant  prayers;  and  processions  and 
pageants  passed  continually  from  the  dawn,  when 
they  commenced,  to  the  succeeding  one  on  the 
morrow.  Jezebel  was  the  most  ardent  of  devotees. 
She  lived  in  the  temple,  taking  her  meals  at  the 
stalls  of  the  merchants  who  provided  for  the  wants 
of  the  pious  habitues,  and  often  sleeping  in  adjoin- 
ing chambers  after  the  culminating  midnight  per- 
formances. 

And  what  of  Azalim?  Did  he  remain  steadfast 
to  the  God  of  his  fathers  in  this  dense  air  of  tainted 
idolatry?  He  had  stood  firm  in  the  house  of 
Rimmon.  Did  he  imbibe  the  infection  now?  Like 
the  traveller  about  whom  the  sun  and  wind  wrangled 
as  to  which  should  force  him  to  throw  off  his  cloak, 
the  young  Hebrew  had  wrapped  his  garment  closer 
when  opposed,  and  now  cast  it  aside  when  un- 
assailed. 


JBaalbec  us 

From  the  moment  when  the  ringing  laugh  of 
Jezebel  mocked  the  young  Levite,  a  chill  had  fallen 
upon  the  faith  of  Azalim.  He  was  conscious  of  it. 
He  lamented,  but  he  feebly  reasoned  that  he  could 
do  nothing.  What  he  could  do  he  did  not.  He 
sought  no  help  when  help  was  to  be  obtained  and  so 
no  help  came.  He  was  left  alone  and  he  fell,  and 
great  was  his  fall. 

Jezebel  acted  very  astutely.  She  did  not  arg^e 
or  persuade,  and  she  ceased  to  ridicule  his  religious 
beliefs.  She  treated  him  with  a  gentle  pity  as  be- 
ing outside  the  pale,  and  ignored  him  altogether 
when  she  started  for  her  worship.  This  neglect 
offended  his  self-importance,  and  deprived  him  of 
her  society,  and  one  day,  tired  of  his  solitary  posi- 
tion, and  with  a  false  shame  of  his  own  singularity, 
he  proposed  to  accompany  his  wife  to  the  temple. 

A  colossal  image  of  Baal  faced  all  who  entered 
from  the  great  central  portico  of  the  building.  It 
was  of  gold,  and  to  kiss  its  foot,  which  on  its  huge 
pedestals  just  reached  the  level  of  the  ordinary 
worshipper's  lips,  was  an  act  of  supreme  homage, 
as  well  as  acknowledgment  of  Baal  as  the  chief  of 
the  deities.  As  it  was  an  impossibility  for  every 
individual  entering  to  perform  this  act,  the  sign 
of  the  sun,  as  it  was  termed,  was  accepted  in  lieu 
of  the  absolute  salute.     This  consisted  of  touch- 


146    asaltm :  a  'Romance  of  ®lt)  ^u&ca 

ing  with  the  finger  the  right  cheek  for  the  rising  and 
the  left  cheek  for  the  setting  sun,  and  pressing  the 
lips  on  the  palm  of  the  hand. 

Jezebel  laid  her  hand  on  her  husband's  arm  ere 
they  entered  and  said,  "  If  thou  fearest  to  make  the 
customary  obeisance  to  my  god,  enter  not  his  pres- 
ence, but  await  my  return  beneath  the  portico." 

"  I  do  not  fear,"  he  replied,  a  red  flush  mounting 
to  the  roots  of  his  hair  as  he  moved  forward. 

She  led  him  by  the  hand  to  the  foot  of  the  image, 
and  made  the  sign  of  the  sun  as  she  cried  "  All 
hail,  great  Baal !  "  Azalim  was  about  to  follow  her 
example  when  Jezebel  imperiously  motioned  to  him 
to  kneel  and  kiss  the  idol's  foot;  scarcely  realizing 
what  he  did,  he  obeyed  the  indication,  and  as  he 
rose,  cried  with  her  as  she  again  repeated  "  All  hail, 
great  Baal ! " 

So  the  die  was  cast  and  Azalim,  the  apostate, 
stood  before  the  idol  as  the  openly  acknowledged 
worshipper  of  Baal.  His  knee  had  bowed  to  him, 
and  with  all  the  bigot  zeal  of  the  convert,  the  rene- 
gade Nazarite  even  exceeded  his  young  wife  in  his 
adoration  of  the  Syrian  god. 

It  was  curious  that,  as  Azalim  warmed,  Jezebel 
cooled  in  the  worship.  After  the  first  novelty  and 
excitement  were  over,  and  she  had  succeeded  in  the 
perversion  of  her  husband,  she  awoke  to  a  great 


JSaalbcc  147 

and  bitter  disappointment  by  the  discovery  of  her 
own  non-importance  as  the  daughter  of  Baal's  great 
high  priest. 

A  king  without  a  queen  is  but  half  a  king.  The 
pomp  and  pageantry  of  his  royal  state  is  but  a  poor 
show  in  default  of  a  consort.  But  a  priest  has  no 
room  on  his  sacerdotal  throne  for  a  priestess.  The 
Salic  law  is  embroidered  in  large  type  upon  the  can- 
opy over  it,  and  no  shadow  of  priestly  dignity  falls 
upon  feminine  members  of  his  family.  It  would 
send  a  social,  if  not  a  religious,  shock  through 
Christendom  if  a  woman  were  to  do  the  honours  of 
the  Vatican,  still  less  to  assist  at  the  solemnities 
of  St.  Peter,  save  as  a  spectator  or  private  wor- 
shipper.    The  priest  must  be  enthroned  alone. 

When  Jezebel  clearly  realized  this  fact  her  dis- 
appointment and  mortification  knew  no  bounds. 
She  had  expected,  if  not  exactly  to  share  her  father's 
honours,  at  least  to  live  in  the  reflection  of  his  glory. 
Why,  even  in  Damascus,  she  was  of  more  conse- 
quence than  here,  where  her  father  was  supreme 
over  every  living  man,  while  the  priest's  daughter 
was  —  the  priest's  daughter  —  that  was  all. 

An  incident  occurred  which  brought  this  unim- 
portance before  her  with  intolerable  mortification. 

The  chief  ceremony  of  the  temple  took  place  at 
midnight,  when  the  great  invocation  to  Baal  to  re- 


148    H3alim:  a  IRomance  of  ©It)  ^ubea 

turn  again  and  gladden  the  earth  was  made.  The 
high  priest,  clad  in  robes  as  gorgeous  as  the  looms 
of  Damascus  could  produce,  of  the  richest  dyes  and 
finest  embroidery,  covered  with  precious  stones,  was 
borne  aloft  on  the  shoulders  of  priests,  also  robed 
in  the  richest  vestments,  through  the  temple,  whilst 
the  thousands  upon  thousands  of  people  drowned 
the  music  of  the  bands  and  the  voices  of  the  singers, 
in  their  shouts  of  "  All  hail,  great  Baal.  Hail  to 
Ethbaal,  his  vice-regent  upon  the  earth,"  as  they 
carried  the  latter  to  the  great  altar,  and,  enthroning 
him  above  it,  began  their  horrid  rites  of  cutting 
and  wounding  themselves,  each  vying  with  the 
other  in  the  depth  of  the  incision  and  the  excess  of 
the  sacrificial  flow.  The  scene  in  the  temple  at  this 
climax  was  little  short  of  demoniacal.  Like  tigers 
enraged  by  the  sight  and  smell  of  blood,  the  throng- 
ing crowds  leapt  and  cried  and  even  gashed  them- 
selves in  imitation  of  the  priests.  The  hubbub  was 
especially  frantic  around  the  altars  of  the  minor 
gods,  where  the  songs  and  dances  of  the  women  were 
changed  into  the  shrieks  and  gestures  of  intoxi- 
cated bacchantes. 

At  a  short  distance  from  the  entrance  to  one  of 
these  places,  Azalim  and  Jezebel  were  pouring  a 
libation  to  a  stone  image  of  Baal  in  mutual  offering, 
—  for  sometimes  even  to  excess  in  wine  the  broken 


JSaalbec  149 

vow  of  the  Nazarite  was  added  to  Azalim's  apos- 
tasy, —  and  Jezebel  was  raising  the  cup  to  her  lips, 
when  one  of  the  roughs  who  abound  in  all  mobs, 
as  if  suddenly  perceiving  her  extraordinary  beauty, 
declared  she  should  share  the  libation  with  him, 
as  she  must  be  the  goddess  Ashtaroth  herself,  and 
no  Israelitish  dog  should  be  honoured  by  such  part- 
nership. 

In  response  to  this  compliment  Azalim  struck 
the  speaker  to  the  ground.  Immediately  the  crowd 
closed  upon  him  and  Jezebel.  Knives  were  drawn 
and  loud  threats  were  uttered  against  the  young 
Hebrew,  who  was  now  in  deadly  danger  of  a  tor- 
tured death. 

"  On  with  thy  veil,  beloved,"  he  whispered  to 
Jezebel.  She  had  removed  it  because  of  the  in- 
tense heat,  and  the  remarks  on  her  beauty  which 
reached  his  ears  alarmed  him  more  than  his  own 
danger;  as  he  spoke  he  sprang  upon  a  ledge  of  the 
idol's  pedestal,  and,  assisting  her  to  reach  it,  placed 
her  behind  him  and  drew  a  sharp  Damascene  blade 
from  his  side  to  defend  them  from  the  fury  of  the 
people. 

These  tumults  were  almost  a  usual  part  of  the 
midnight  orgies  of  Baal.  Although  torches  blazed 
everywhere,  the  area  of  the  temple  was  so  enormous 
a    semidarkness    was    inevitable,    which    naturally 


ISO    HsaUm :  H  iRomancc  ot  ®l&  Ju^ea 

lent  impunity  to  disorder.  Ethbaal's  soldier-guards 
were  stationed  at  intervals,  but  they  could  not  be 
everywhere  at  once,  and  Azalim  was  already 
severely  wounded,  when  a  voice  from  the  throng- 
ing crowd  cried  out,  "  Back,  ye  evil  dogs,  the 
woman  ye  dare  to  covet  is  the  daughter  of  the 
great  high  priest,  the  vice-regent  of  the  sun-god. 
Beware  how  ye  hurt  what  belongs  to  him." 

"  The  daughter  of  the  high  priest,  what  of  that  ?  " 
was  the  jeering  answer.  "  We  shall  be  told  that 
his  ox  and  his  ass,  his  camel  and  his  goat,  are 
sacred  because  belonging  to  him.  Bring  the  priest's 
ass  and  set  his  daughter  on  it  and  we  will  cry, 
*  Great  is  Ethbaal,  greater  his  daughter,  and  great- 
est his  ass.' " 

For  the  voice  of  the  multitude,  whether  mob  or 
noble,  is  ever  a  fickle  one,  ready  to  shout  "  aves  " 
with  one  breath  and  "  death  "  with  the  next. 

Azalim  had  struck  several  of  the  assailants  to 
the  ground,  but  he  would  soon  have  been  over- 
powered and  Jezebel  thrown  with  the  women  of  the 
groves,  had  not  a  body  of  the  high  priest's  guards, 
guided  by  the  uproar,  arrived  on  the  spot  and  dis- 
persed the  rioters.  They  conducted  Jezebel  to  the 
nearest  portico  where  camels  were  waiting  to  be 
hired,  and  escorted  by  Azalim,  she  safely  reached 
home. 


£aalbec  151 

She  had  behaved  throughout  with  her  accustomed 
courage  and  presence  of  mind.  She  did  not  speak 
one  word  in  reply  to  her  husband's  questions,  and 
dismissed  him  at  the  door  of  her  chamber  with  an 
imperious  gesture. 

Her  wrath  and  humiliation  exceeded  the  bounds 
of  her  power  of  self-control.  Through  the  night 
she  sat  brooding,  and  in  the  morning,  when  her 
father  paid  her  his  accustomed  visit,  she  made  no 
allusion  to  the  events  of  the  past  night,  but  abruptly- 
inquired  : 

"  Father,  wouldst  thou  rather  be  a  priest  or  a 
king?" 

Ethbaal  paused,  then  rose  and  closed  the  door  be- 
hind the  curtain.  "  A  king,  my  child.  I  am  weary 
of  the  priesthood,  its  narrowness,  its  sameness.  The 
priest  is  as  one  apart  from  his  fellows.  They  are 
only  his  tools  or  his  followers.  Yes,  daughter,  I 
would  rather  be  a  king.  To  dominate  still,  yea  — 
but  to  rule  my  kind,  not  separate  from  them.  The 
priest  and  the  people  can  no  more  mix  than  can  oil 
and  water." 

"And  I,  father,  would  rather  be  a  king's  than 
a  priest's  daughter,"  returned  Jezebel. 

"  The  gods  have  decreed  otherwise,"  said  Ethbaal, 
with  something  like  a  sigh,  "  and  we  cannot  reverse 


152    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  of  ®l&  3u&ca 

their  decrees,"  and  then  the  priest  hastily  left  the 
apartment. 

"  So  do  the  gods  to  me  and  more  also  if  I  do  not 
make  them  reverse  their  decrees,"  was  Jezebel's  re- 
solve spoken  aloud  to  herself. 

Jezebel  possessed  the  clear  hardness  of  brain,  the 
fearless  courage,  iron  will,  fixity  of  purpose,  and 
boundless  ambition  which  belong  to  a  man  of  the 
highest  order.  She  also  had  the  vanity,  selfishness, 
cruelty,  love  of  power,  and  sensuality  of  tempera- 
ment, which  is  very  common  to  human  nature  and 
is  shared  by  both  sexes.  But  she  owned  these  evil 
qualities,  not  in  the  weaker  proportion  given  to 
women,  but  with  all  the  passion  and  force  of  a  man 
of  low  moral  control  and  calibre;  and,  as  if  to 
complete  her  error,  Nature  had  encased  these  quali- 
ties in  the  folds  of  a  magnificent  and  surpassing 
beauty  as  though  to  enable  her  to  work  mischief 
without  end  in  the  world  around  her. 

For  awhile  after  the  occurrence  in  the  temple, 
Jezebel  raged  and  planned,  but  a  reality  in  her  life 
pressed  so  closely  upon  her  consideration  that 
these  imaginary  schemes  fell  into  the  backgfround. 
She  was  about  to  become  a  mother,  and  if  this 
event  were  not  kept  secret  she  knew  that  the  lives 
of  Azalim  and  herself  would  not  survive  the  dis- 
covery a  single  day.     She  therefore  affected   ill 


JBaalbcc  153 

health  and  obtained  permission  from  her  father  to 
take  the  remedy  of  a  change  to  Damascus,  where, 
under  the  charge  of  a  lady  known  to  Ethbaal,  she 
could  reside  for  awhile.  The  priest,  in  full  confi- 
dence, left  the  arrangements  to  his  daughter,  who, 
with  the  assistance  of  Neroa  and  her  mother,  was 
safely  domiciled  in  privacy,  where,  in  due  time,  she 
gave  birth  to  a  child. 

She  was  not  without  the  maternal  instinct  which 
humanity  shares  with  the  beasts  of  the  field  and  the 
nesting  mother  for  their  young.  She  smiled  fondly 
at  the  little  creature  the  midwife  laid  in  her  bosom, 
and  whispered  softly  to  it  as  its  cheek  touched 
hers :  "  I  am  glad  thou  art  a  woman  child,  poor 
babe,  for  my  first  man  child  must  be  the  son  of  a 
king,  and  bom  to  be  a  king  himself." 

Azalim,  whose  love  of  offspring  amounted  to  a 
passion,  fell  into  a  state  of  rapture  at  his  new  pa- 
ternal dignity.  What  mattered  a  son  to  him  who 
owned  not  land  enough  to  set  his  foot  upon,  nor  a 
head  or  hoof  of  cattle  he  could  call  his  own.  Be- 
sides, the  loves  of  his  life,  with  the  exception  of 
Elijah,  had  all  been  women.  Salome,  Zillah, 
Jezebel.  Yes,  he  told  himself,  his  little  daughter 
was  the  most  precious  gift  his  new  gods  could  have 
bestowed  upon  him. 

Jezebel's  superb  physique  soon  recovered   from 


154    :a3alim :  B  IRomance  of  ^l^  5u^ea 

the  birth  of  her  child,  and  in  a  short  time  she  re- 
turned to  Baalbec  accompanied  by  AzaHm  and  the 
younger  witch,  Neroa,  who  had  decided  to  leave 
Damascus  and  join  the  brotherhood  of  the  wizards 
at  the  Great  Temple,  and  in  secret,  from  fear  of  her 
father,  Jezebel  also  sought  admission  into  the  dark 
society. 

"  I  have  defied  the  gods  to  thwart  me,"  she  said 
to  herself,  "  and  now  it  shall  go  ill  with  me  if  I  do 
not  wrest  my  wishes  from  the  unwilling  hand  of 
Beelzebub  himself,"  and  so  with  an  undaunted 
spirit  she  went  through  all  the  gruesome  arts  and 
repulsive  rites  of  the  hellish  cult  which  were  carried 
on  in  the  subterranean  halls  of  the  Baalbec  temple. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


MOLOCH 


Of  all  the  trials  and  troubles  which  beset  mortality, 
disappointment  leaves  the  sharpest  and  most  lasting 
sting  behind  it,  for  it  always  stays  humanity's  in- 
valuable treasure  —  Hope. 

The  disappointment  of  Jezebel's  expectation  of 
distinction  and  power  as  the  daughter  of  the  power- 
ful high  priest  effected  a  complete  change  in  her 
life  and  nature.  On  her  return  to  Baalbec  after  the 
birth  of  her  child,  she  no  longer  devoted  her  time 
to  the  worship  of  Baal  in  the  temple,  but  passed  her 
nights  in  subterranean  vaults  where  the  enlisted 
slaves  of  Beelzebub,  —  as  the  prince  of  the  demons 
was  then  named,  —  the  wizards,  and  the  witches 
held  their  unholy  rites, 

Ethbaal's  daughter  threw  the  whole  force  of  her 
will  and  the  fine  gifts  of  her  intellect  into  the  study 
of  the  black  art  which,  now  popularly  judged  a 
shadowy  imposture,  was  then  an  abstract  science. 
She  entered  herself  a  scholar,  became  a  student, 

1 55 


is6    asalim :  a  "Romance  of  ®lb  5u^ea 

advanced  to  a  professorship,  and  then  obtained  rank 
as  member,  until  the  great  consummation  of  the 
brotherhood  was  bestowed  upon  her,  —  the  service 
and  companionship  of  a  famiHar  spirit  whom  she 
could  summon  into  the  body  of  her  wolf-dog 
Moloch,  and  who  bore  the  same  demoniacal  name. 

For  a  short  while  the  acquisition  of  this  tremen- 
dous power  for  evil  filled  the  being  of  Jezebel  with 
an  almost  fiendish  joy,  and  then  there  came  to  her  a 
second  disappointment.  Gradually  she  awoke  to 
the  fact  that  witchcraft  was  not  more  likely  to 
advance  her  ambitious  hopes  than  her  position  as 
a  priest's  daughter  had  been.  The  wizards,  under 
the  names  of  magicians,  soothsayers,  or  sorcerers, 
stood  before  and  were  in  the  pay  of  kings  —  yes  — 
but  they  were  only  hirelings  after  all,  and  were  never 
advanced  to  rank  or  power,  whilst  the  witches  had 
nothing  to  look  forward  to  but  the  money  gains 
paid  for  casting  nativities,  divining  fortunes,  or 
casting  malicious  spells  and  injuries.  Of  wealth, 
she  had  a  surfeit.  Her  father  was  rich  beyond  any 
king  around  him.  To  the  fortunes  of  others  she 
was  indifferent,  only  caring  for  her  own;  and  as 
to  revengie,  she  needed  no  diabolic  help,  she  told 
herself,  to  return  evil  with  evil. 

Jezebel  had  brooded  over  wishes  of  the  highest 
earthly  ambition  and  had  sought  their  fulfilment  in 


n&OlOCb  157 

the  service  of  Beelzebub,  who,  like  Baal,  seemed 
about  to  disappoint  her.  But  she  resolved  not  to 
give  up  her  hopes  without  further  effort;  the  first 
step  was  to  consult  Neroa,  who  was  now  high  in 
rank  among  the  Baalbec  witches. 

"  Neroa,"  she  said,  "  when  I  entered  the  secret 
service  of  Beelzebub,  I  expected  that  he  would  repay 
me  by  granting  in  return  the  desires  of  my  ambition, 
but  it  seems  the  witch  only  obtains  the  wages  of 
hirelings." 

"  That  is  all,"  replied  Neroa,  in  a  tone  of  regret 
tinged  with  bitterness.  "  We  enter  the  service  of 
Beelzebub  as  we  enter  the  life  of  the  world,  with 
great  expectations  and  find  —  "  she  paused. 

"And  find?"    repeated  Jezebel. 

"  That  they  are  rarely,  if  ever,  realized,"  re- 
turned Neroa. 

"  But  mine  shall  be  realized,"  cried  Jezebel,  im- 
periously. "  Even  Beelzebub  shall  not  prevail 
against  my  will  and  wish.  Speak,  witch,  are  there 
no  means  by  which  we  can  induce  or  force  this 
great  prince  of  darkness  to  grant,  or  at  least  not  to 
oppose,  our  desires  ?  " 

"  There  are.  Yea.  There  is  a  way,"  said  Neroa, 
solemnly,  "  but  the  cost  is  tremendous  and  the  risk 
is  great."' 

"  Name     it,"     exclaimed     Jezebel,     impatiently. 


158    asalim:  H  IRomancc  of  ©15  5u5ca 

"  The  price  must  be  high  that  I  would  not  pay,  the 
risk  great  that  I  would  not  run,  to  gain  the  wishes 
of  my  heart."  Then  as  Neroa  did  not  answer,  she 
added,  "  What  doth  Beelzebub  require  ?  " 

"  Thy  soul,"  responded  the  witch,  covering  her 
face  with  her  hands  as  she  spoke. 

"  My  soul !  and  what  is  that,  O  witch?  " 

"  Thy  life,  daughter  of  Ethbaal,  in  the  indwelling 
of  which  thy  body  moves  and  breathes  and  acts,  and 
which  will  live  when  thy  body  and  thy  mind  lie  dead 
in  the  dust." 

"  The  prince  is  welcome  to  it,  then,"  replied  Jeze- 
bel, scornfully.  "  I  only  prize  the  soul  while  it  re- 
vivifies the  body  through  whose  senses  alone  it  can 
enjoy  life.    Now  tell  me  the  risk." 

"  The  risk,"  explained  Neroa,  "  is  that  the  prince 
may  not  keep  his  word  whilst  holding  thee  to  thine." 

"  That  is  a  grave  risk  indeed,  O  Neroa,  but  set- 
ting it  aside,  answer  me  truly:  if  the  life,  as  thou 
call'st  the  soul,  is  given  to  the  prince  when  it  leaves 
the  body,  does  it  become  one  of  his  familiar  imps? 
If  so,"  she  added,  in  a  tone  of  levity,  "  the  bargain 
would  exactly  suit  me." 

"  Oh,  do  not  speak  like  that,"  said  Neroa,  shud- 
dering and  turning  deadly  pale.  "  Thou  knowest  not 
what  thou  sayest.  I  will  answer  thee  this  one  ques- 
tion, but  not  another.    No,  thy  bartered  soul  would 


/IDOlOCb  159 

not  become  a  demon  imp.  It  would  be  delivered 
to  the  tormentors,  for  the  prince  hates  our  race, 
because  it  was  formed  to  take  his  place  in  that  king- 
dom whence  he  was  once  expelled.  O  daughter 
of  Ethbaal,  beware!  beware!  and  touch  not  the 
fire  which  will  consume  thee  in  the  handling." 

"  Nay,  Neroa.  Thou  hast  said  too  much  not  to 
speak  further.    Tell  me  —  " 

"  Not  one  word,"  replied  the  witch,  "  I  have 
spoken  too  much  already.  What  if  the  spirits  have 
heard  me  and  reported  my  treason?  Go  thou  to 
thy  familiar,  and  if  thou  art  resolved  to  rush  upon 
thy  doom,  he  will  counsel  thee,"  and  rushing  from 
the  apartment,  Neroa  left  Jezebel  to  herself. 

The  latter  was  awed  and  indeed  alarmed  by  the 
manner  even  more  than  the  conversation  of  the 
older  witch,  and,  sinking  down  upon  a  pile  of  cush- 
ions on  the  floor,  she  remained  for  some  time  in  a 
state  of  perplexed  anxiety;  but  Jezebel  was  not  of 
a  temperament  to  be  long  turned  aside  from  any 
project  on  which  she  had  set  her  mind,  and  after 
awhile  she  recovered  from  the  consternation  with 
which  Neroa  had  inspired  her,  and  resumed  her 
intention  to  make  terms  with  her  master,  the  prince 
of  the  spirits  of  the  dark  world. 

Descending  to  the  cell  which  served  as  a  kennel 
for  her  dog  Moloch,  with  a  firm  hand  and  firmer 


i6o    asaltm :  H  IRomance  of  ©l&  ^u^ea 

voice  she  performed  the  incantations  and  invoca- 
tions which  summoned  her  familiar.  Like  the 
genii  of  Eastern  story,  the  dark  spirit  appeared  he- 
fore  her,  not  in  a  form  of  his  own  or  in  any  individ- 
ual appearance,  but  by  entering  the  body  of  the  dog, 
who,  with  a  low  whine  as  of  pain,  placed  his  fore 
paws  upon  his  mistress's  knee  and  his  head  against 
her  shoulder,  whilst  the  familiar  within  him  con- 
versed in  what  will  here  be  rendered  into  human 
language. 

"  Moloch,"  Jezebel  began,  "  doth  not  our  master 
Beelzebub  reward  his  servants  with  something  more 
than  the  mere  silver  and  gold  which  some  of  them 
already  possess  ?  " 

"  The  prince,"  was  the  ambigfuous  reply,  "  only 
gives  as  man  gives,  for  an  equivalent." 

"  Name  the  equivalent,  O  spirit,"  she  demanded. 

"  First  name  thy  desires !  " 

"  I  desire  to  be  the  daughter  of  a  king,  the  wife 
of  a  king,  the  mother  of  kings.  I  desire  power, 
dominion,  fame,  with  health  and  wealth  and  beauty 
continued  to  me,  with  joy,  success,  and  pleasure  — 
in  a  word,  all  the  good  things  of  this  world  sur- 
rounding me  like  the  atmosphere  —  all  this  I  desire 
until  my  life's  end !  " 

"  The  prince  doth  not  undo  the  past ! "  was  the 
familiar's   reply,     "  Thou   art   the   daughter   of   a 


/©OlOCb  i6i 

priest,  the  wife  of  a  herdsman,  and  the  mother  of 
a  woman  child  put  to  nurse  at  a  peasant's  bosom. 
Thy  beauty  is  bound  to  fade,  thy  health  to  decay. 
Thy  wealth  will  pass  with  thy  father's  life,  and 
power,  joy,  and  pleasure,  even  if  thou  couldst  grasp 
them,  will  never  last.  Thou  askest  impossibilities, 
O  child  of  earth!" 

"  Moloch,"  exclaimed  Jezebel  as  she  rose,  and 
with  an  angry  gesture  thrust  away  the  dog's  paws 
from  her  lap,  "  if  ever  again  thou  speakest  of 
impossibilities,  I  will  brand  thy  name  with  a  curse 
at  the  assembly  of  the  brotherhood.  Now  depart 
and  bear  the  message  of  my  desires  to  thy  prince 
and  my  master  Beelzebub,  and  bring  me  the  answer 
of  his  price  for  them  when  I  summon  thee  at  this 
time  and  place  on  the  morrow.    Go." 

Moloch  fell  crouching  to  the  ground,  uttering 
a  hoarse,  savage  howl.  Jezebel  chained  him  to  a 
ring  in  the  wall  and  called  a  slave,  who  placed  water 
and  a  platter  of  bones  before  him,  and  then  his 
mistress  locked  the  door  behind  her  and  went  her 
way. 

At  the  appointed  time,  the  same  scene  was  re- 
peated, and  the  familiar  said : 

"  The  prince  hath  the  power  as  thou  saidst,  O 
daughter  of  earth,  to  grant  all  thy  desires,  but  thou 
must  in  return  pay  his  price !  " 


i62    asalim :  H  IRomance  of  ®l&  5u&ea 

"  What  is  the  price  ?  "  inquired  Jezebel. 

"  If  he  gives  thee  for  thy  life  all  the  good  things 
of  it  which  he  hath  the  power  to  bestow  on  whom 
he  pleases,  thou  must  give  him,  both  here  and  here- 
after, that  life  of  thine  which  is  in  thy  power  to  g^ve 
to  whom  thou  choosest." 

"What  is  that  life?" 

"  It  is  thy  soul." 

"  Ay,  so  Neroa  said.  Hath  this  soul,  O  spirit, 
senses  like  the  body?  Can  it  eat  and  drink  and 
sleep  and  play?  Can  it  laugh,  dance,  sing,  and  love 
as  humanity  loves?  Hath  it  bodily  eyes  and  ears 
and  smell?  Can  it  value  fine  garments  and  costly 
treasures,  pomp  and  palaces,  precious  gems  and 
countless  gold  and  silver?  Can  it  understand  and 
enjoy  all  these  things?  " 

"  It  cannot." 

"What  then  can  it  do?" 

"  It  can  feel." 

"  Feel  without  senses !   What  can  it  feel  ?  " 

"  It  can  feel  inexpressible  joy  or  unutterable 
woe." 

"What  else  can  it  do?" 

"  It  can  sin." 

"Sin!  What  is  sin?"  demanded  Jezebel,  jest- 
ingly. 

**  Whatsoever  thou  lusteth  to  do  which  a  voice 


/Dolocb  163 

within  thy  breast  forbids,"  was  the  familiar's 
answer. 

"  And  what  I  lust  to  do,  I  will  do,"  responded 
Jezebel,  "  although  a  thousand  voices  within  me 
forbade  it,  and  if  that  be  sin,  I  will  drink  it  not 
in  little  sips,  but  in  one  long  deep  draught  of  pleasure 
and  of  joy.  Go,  tell  thy  lord  that  Jezebel  agrees  to 
the  barter,  and  will,  after  the  manner  of  her  mortal 
race,  sign  and  seal  the  agreement  where  and  when 
he  chooses  to  appoint  —  yet,"  she  added,  "stay, 
I  have  been  told  that  the  prince  does  not  keep  his 
word  with  mortals,  whilst  holding  them  to  theirs. 
Tell  him,"  she  continued,  rearing  her  queenly  head 
and  superb  form  with  haughty  defiance,  "  that  if 
he  breaks  his  covenant,  I,  on  my  part,  will  fail  in 
mine.  Let  this  be  well  understood,  thou  slave  of  the 
black  brotherhood,  and  forget  not  that  I  am  thy 
master,  although  my  spirit  is  clothed  in  the  form 
of  a  woman  of  my  race." 

"  Master,"  replied  the  familiar,  "  I  will  do  thy 
bidding,  and  bring  thee  back  thy  message." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

SAMECH 

Jezebel  was  alone  with  her  dog"  and  her  familiar, 
awaiting"  the  message  from  her  master  Beelzebub. 
As  usual,  Moloch  placed  his  forepaws  on  her  knee 
and  his  head  against  her  shoulder,  and  in  the  spirit 
converse  the  familiar  said : 

"  My  prince  will  keep  his  word  with  thee  as  men 
keep  theirs  with  their  fellows,  that  is  —  if  it  serves 
his  own  purpose  to  do  so." 

"  How  shall  I  know  what  serves  his  purpose  ?  " 
Jezebel  questioned. 

"  It  lies  entirely  with  thyself,"  replied  the 
familiar.  "  If  thou  wilt  do  his  bidding"  during  thy 
mortal  life,  he  will  grant  all  thy  desires." 

"  I  thought  I  was  to  barter  my  soul  in  exchange 
for  my  wishes,"  said  Jezebel. 

'*  Thy  allegiance  in  this  life  will  suffice,"  replied 
the  familiar.     "  The  rest  will  certainly  follow  it." 

"  Then  it  is  his,"  returned  Jezebel,  unhesitatingly. 
"  Return  to  thy  prince,  O  spirit,  and  present  to 

164 


Samecb  165 

him  my  allegiance,  and  I  again  repeat,  I  will  yield 
and  ratify  it  after  the  manner  of  my  race,  at  any 
time  and  place  he  may  appoint." 

"  I  hear  and  obey,  O  master,"  was  the  reply, 
and  then  Jezebel  and  the  dog  were  left  alone  to- 
gether. 

The  priest's  daughter  retired  to  rest  as  usual; 
about  midnight  she  awoke  to  find  herself  stand- 
ing in  a  kind  of  semidarkness,  through  which  she 
gazed  as  though  a  misty  veil  had  been  drawn  over 
her  eyes. 

Gradually  her  sight  cleared  and  she  found  her- 
self dressed  as  in  her  waking  hours,  standing  in  a 
barren  valley,  lined  to  about  the  stature  of  a  man 
with  smooth  stones  covered  with  carvings  and  in- 
scriptions, whilst  scattered  unevenly  over  the  ground 
were  stones  also  cut  with  strange  letters  and  signs. 
The  place  was  evidently  an  ancient  burial-groimd, 
for  here  and  there  lay  disjointed  human  bones. 
When  Jezebel  approached  and  looked  through  the 
opening,  afforded  by  a  stone  partly  fallen  from  the 
wall,  she  saw  a  group  of  skeletons  who  appeared 
to  be  holding  a  conference  together ;  even  her  stout 
heart  quailed  when,  to  her  excited  fancy,  they 
seemed  to  gibber  and  mock  at  her  as  she  gazed, 
and  she  fled  from  the  spot.     There  appeared  to  be 


i66    Haalim :  H  IRomancc  ot  ®l&  ^ubea 

no  exit  from  this  weird  enclosure.  The  rocks  were 
inaccessible  and  the  air  was  as  dense  and  unbreath- 
able  as  though  the  continued  presence  of  the  dead 
had  checked  its  circulation. 

The  sense  of  loneliness  was  terrible.  Jezebel  felt 
as  if  sound  as  well  as  atmosphere  had  been  anni- 
hilated, and  in  the  midst  of  her  perturbation,  she 
scarcely  knew  whether  it  was  a  terror  or  relief  when 
she  perceived  a  figure  emerge  from  behind  one  of 
the  cliffs,  and  slowly,  almost  imperceptibly,  glide 
toward  her,  but  she  soon  recovered  her  self-pos- 
session. The  apparitions  of  the  lower  spirit  world 
had  no  alarms  for  her,  and  when  the  spectre  stopped 
before  her,  she  calmly  stood  her  ground  and  ob- 
served it. 

The  apparition  was  of  almost  gigantic  stature 
and  was  covered  with  a  shining  mantle  which  fell  in 
soft  folds  over  it,  but  did  not  conceal  the  perfect 
skeleton  beneath,  gleaming  with  the  yellowy  tint 
and  polish  of  old  ivory. 

She  perceived  it  was  the  frame  of  one  in  the 
prime  of  life,  for  it  is  a  strange  fact  that  the  well 
preserved  human  skull  can  retain  not  only  the  in- 
dication of  age,  but  the  expression  of  the  moral 
disposition  and  intellectual  capacity  of  its  once  liv- 
ing owner. 


Samecb  167 

Scarcely  had  she  noted  this,  when  the  spectre 
thus  addressed  her : 

"  Thou  hast  come  then,  O  daughter  of  earth ! " 

"  Am  I  then  expected  ? "  she  replied,  calmly. 
Converse  with  a  spirit  by  no  means  disconcerted 
her. 

"  Ay,  thou  didst  demand  an  audience  with  the 
prince,  and  he  hath  appointed  it  in  the  place  of 
doom." 

"  Why  a  place  of  doom?  "  inquired  Jezebel. 

"  It  is  the  burial-ground  of  the  men  drowned  in 
the  great  deluge.  Hast  thou  never  heard  of  that 
great  flood  ?  " 

"  Yea.  I  have  been  told  that  hundreds  of  ages 
past  the  earth  overflowed  with  water.  But  how 
could  drowned  men  be  gathered  from  the  deep  and 
buried  among  the  mountains  of  the  land?  Thou 
speakest  in  riddles,  spirit,"  continued  Jezebel,  mock- 
ingly. 

"  Woman,"  returned  the  spectre,  "  I  can  tell  thee, 
if  thou  wilt  listen  to  my  tale  of  this  dread  deluge." 

"  And  who  art  thou  ?  "  she  questioned,  "  and  what 
is  the  reason  of  thy  desiring  to  relate  a  story  of 
long-forgotten  events  to  me,  who  care  not  fof 
them?" 

"  I  am  Samech,"  he  replied,  "  a  prisoner  of 
Hades,  sent  by  my  jailer  to  watch  thee  here  and 


i68    Hsaltm:  a  IRomance  of  ®lt)  5ut)ea 

guard  lest  thou  escape  ere  thou  hast  completed 
thy  compact  of  ruin  with  the  prince,  and  lo!  a 
higher  power  forces  me  to  warn  thee  of  thy  folly, 
and  therefore  I  would  relate  to  thee  the  story  of 
my  own  self-destruction." 

"  I  need  no  warning,"  returned  Jezebel,  haugh- 
tily. 

"  Which  proves  thy  blindness  and  thy  danger," 
answered  the  spectre. 

"  Well,  speak,"  she  assented,  seating  herself  on 
one  of  the  raised  tombs.  "  At  least,  it  will  while 
away  the  time  until  the  prince  receives  me." 

"  My  name,  as  I  have  just  told  thee,  was 
Samech,"  said  the  phantom.  "  I  lived  in  the  earlier 
ages  of  the  world  and  was  of  the  race  of  the  sons 
of  the  great  God  who  made  it.  In  my  youth  I 
served  this  God,  and  with  my  brother  Noah  was 
high  in  his  favour,  but  the  prince  of  evil,  whom  thou 
art,  O  daughter  of  earth,  about  to  serve,  had  marked 
me  for  his  own,  and  prepared  a  temptation  into  which 
I  fell.  There  were  then  other  races  on  earth  called 
the  sons  of  men,  and  the  women  of  these  people 
were  wondrous  fair;  I,  who  was  a  lover  of  pleasure, 
became  enslaved  by  these  women  and  took  wives 
of  all  I  fancied,  and  brought  them  to  my  tents. 
Under  their  influence  I  forsook  the  great  God  who 
was  my  father,  ceased  to  sacrifice  and  supplicate 


Samecb  169 

him,  and  withdrew  entirely  from  the  society  of  my 
brother,  who  sought  to  reclaim  me." 

"  But  what  has  all  this  to  do  with  the  great 
flood !  "  interrupted  Jezebel,  impatiently. 

"  Thou  shalt  hear.  In  time  sons  were  born  to 
me ;  giants  they  were,  men  of  renown,  and  with  them 
I  began  a  life  of  robbery  and  violence.  If  we  saw  a 
fair  woman  or  goodly  raiment,  or  flocks  and  herds 
belonging  to  other  men,  we  armed  ourselves,  and 
falling  on  the  owners,  being  stronger  than  they, 
slew  and  took  possession  of  their  coveted  goods. 
Then  we  would  return  to  our  tents,  and  in  feast- 
ing and  excess  of  wine  enjoy  our  spoils. 

"  My  brother  Noah  reproved  me.  He  was  a  hus- 
bandman, and  lived  with  the  one  wife  ordained 
by  his  God;  and  his  three  sons  were  likewise  men 
of  peace,  and  led  upright  lives  like  himself.  I, 
who  tired  of  any  woman  in  a  moon  or  two,  ridi- 
culed and  threw  contempt  at  them  because  they  were 
contented  and  faithful  to  their  wives,  whom  I  often 
coveted,  but  never  dared  seize.  One  day  Noah 
came  to  me  and  said: 

"  *  Brother,  the  Lord  God  hath  ordered  me  to 
build  a  mighty  boat,  with  a  house  three  stories 
high  upon  it,  for  he  is  wroth  with  the  universal 
violence  and  sin  among  mankind,  and  intends  to 


I70    aaaltm :  H  "Romance  ot  ®lt)  5u&ca 

drown  every  living  creature  that  is  not  sheltered 
in  this  big  ark.'  " 

"  What  a  fool  thou  must  have  thought  him, 
spirit,"  observed  Jezebel  scornfully. 

"  Thou  art  right,  I  thought  he  was  a  fool  then, 
and  I  know  now  that  /  was  the  fool,  to  my  eternal 
cost,"  replied  the  spectre.  "  My  brother  implored 
me  to  give  up  my  ways  of  murder,  sensuality,  and 
robbery,  and  turn  to  the  Lord  God  whose  son  I 
had  once  been;  but  I  grew  angry,  my  wives  came 
out  of  their  tents  and  mocked  him,  and  my  giant 
sons  threatened  him,  so  he  went  away  sorrowfully." 

"Did  he  actually  build  this  big  ship?"  queried 
Jezebel,  who  was  getting  interested  in  the  story. 

"  He  did.  Hundreds  of  workmen  assisted  in  the 
strange  erection,  and  it  was  remarkable  that  my 
brother,  although  not  a  rich  man,  never  lacked 
means  to  pay  them.  His  fields  brought  forth  an 
hundredfold.  The  flocks  and  herds,  which  he  only 
kept  for  his  own  family,  now  seemed  to  bring  forth 
thousands  and  sufficed  to  pay  the  wages  of  the  work- 
ers. Six  days  of  each  week  they  laboured  under 
his  supervision,  mocking  him  behind  his  back,  but 
servilely  obeying  all  orders  to  his  face.  On  the 
seventh  day,  according  to  the  law  of  his  God,  the 
work  ceased,  and  then  he  preached  to  all  who  would 
listen  to  him  and  prayed  them  to  amend  their  lives. 


Samecb  17* 

obtain  mercy  and  enter  into  the  ark.  The  people 
listened  and  laughed,  and  not  one,  no,  not  one, 
heeded  his  words. 

"  I  and  my  sons  were  returning  from  one  of  our 
raids  of  murder  and  robbery,  when,  on  approaching 
our  tents,  we  heard  a  tumultuous  noise  as  of  a 
multitude  in  great  excitement.  We  followed  the 
sound,  and  then  beheld  an  extraordinary  sight. 
The  building  of  the  ark  was  finished,  and  lo!  in 
one  long  procession,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
the  animal  world  of  every  size,  sort  and  description 
were  approaching  and  entering  the  ark  by  a  long, 
wide  platform  leading  up  to  the  great  doors.  By 
twos  and  by  sevens,  the  males  and  their  mates, 
beasts,  reptiles,  and  insects,  from  the  mighty  be- 
hemoth to  the  smallest  ant,  were  there.  No  one 
drove,  no  one  directed  them.  On  they  came  as  if  it 
were  their  feeding-time,  and  when  the  last  had  dis- 
appeared within  the  structure,  the  winged  world  of 
birds  flew  in  pairs  and  sevens  through  the  great 
opened  window.  The  people  witnessing  this  wonder- 
ful sight  shouted  and  laughed  and  mocked  and  won- 
dered; when  every  living  thing  had  entered,  my 
brother  Noah,  who,  with  his  wife,  his  three  sons, 
and  their  wives,  were  standing  at  the  foot  of  the 
platform,  ascended  to  the  door.  Then  my  brother 
turned  and  cried  with  a  loud  voice :    *  The  door 


172    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  ot  ®lt)  5u&ea 

of  mercy  is  still  open.  Whosoever  will  flee  from  the 
flood  of  waters  coming  on  the  earth,  let  him  ascend 
and  enter  before  it  is  too  late ! '  " 

"Did  any  accept  the  offer?"  said  Jezebel,  now 
thoroughly  interested. 

"  Not  one !  Three  times  at  intervals  he  repeated 
it,  once  calling  me  by  name.  An  impulse  came  on 
me  to  accept  it,  but  false  shame  kept  me  back,  for 
I  had  said  hard  things  about  Noah's  folly,  and 
my  wives  and  sons  had  heard  me  and  I  was  ashamed 
and  feared  to  be  laughed  at.  Then  Noah  gave  the 
order  to  his  sons  and  they  detached  the  boards  of 
the  platform  and  threw  them  off  the  ark,  and  when 
they  had  entered  in,  the  great  door  was  shut  with- 
out hands. 

"  Then  the  conviction  came  over  me  that  it  was 
too  late,  and  that  I  had  been  a  fool,  but  I  crushed 
the  misgiving  and  returned  to  our  tents  and  spent 
the  day  and  night  in  feasting  and  revelling  and 
counting  out  our  spoils." 

"  Did  the  ark  float  away  on  dry  ground?  "  Jeze- 
bel questioned,  sarcastically. 

"  For  seven  days  it  remained  stationary,"  re- 
sponded Samech.  "  The  sun  shone,  the  flowers 
smiled  back  to  it,  the  birds  sang,  and  not  one  drop 
of  rain  fell ;  the  people  pointed  to  the  ark  and  said 
the  inmates  were  safe  enough  until  they  starved  to 


Samecb  173 

death.  A  stupid  gibe,  for  at  least  a  year's  food  had 
been  stored  within  it  by  my  brother.  On  the  eighth 
day  three  Httle  clouds  came  up  from  the  west;  then 
a  few  giant  drops  of  water  fell,  and  immediately  a 
storm  was  upon  us,  and  for  forty  days  and  forty 
nights,  O  daughter  of  earth,  it  never  ceased;  the 
great  deep  was  broken  up  and  the  clouds  of  heaven 
opened  and  emptied  themselves  upon  the  earth. 

"  Death  was  on  every  side.  I,  my  wives,  and  my 
sons  went  higher  and  higher  as  the  waters  prevailed, 
carrying  what  food  we  could  with  us,  until  at  last 
we  reached  the  highest  mountain  yet  unsubmerged. 
There  below  us,  resting,  as  it  were,  upon  a  sea  of 
smooth  oil  rather  than  water,  lay  the  ark,  whilst  all 
around  the  black  billows  rose  and  battled  in  watery 
fury. 

"  *  Father,'  cried  one  of  my  sons,  '  let  us  make 
rafts  and  overtake  the  ark.  Peradventure  thy 
brother  may  open  the  door  and  let  us  in.  See,  there 
are  trees  in  abundance  to  furnish  wood,  and  the 
cords  of  our  tents  can  bind  the  boats  together.' 

"  We  did  so,  and  reached  the  ark.  My  giant  sons 
stood  one  on  the  other's  shoulders  and  hoisted  me 
above  them  to  the  level  of  the  window.  We  all 
raised  a  great  shout  for  help,  and  I  called  upon  my 
brother  by  name  and  implored  him  to  open  to  us. 
I  vowed  from  henceforth  to  lead  a  just  and  holy 


174    Hsalim :  H  "Romance  of  ©l&  5u&ca 

life,  to  serve  the  Lord  God  and  walk  in  his  ways, 
if  he  only  would  now  have  mercy  upon  us  and  save 
our  lives  from  the  dreadful  deluge.  But  none  an- 
swered, none  approached;  not  a  sound  reached  us 
from  within,  and  for  a  day  and  a  night  we  paddled 
around  the  ark,  crying  out  for  mercy  and  admission. 
At  intervals  I  was  lifted  to  the  window,  but  none 
replied  or  made  any  sign  of  even  noticing  our  suppli- 
cation. At  last  the  end  came  upon  us,  and  our  little 
fleet  sank  with  us  all  like  lead  into  the  depths  of  the 
mighty  waters ! " 

"  And  then,"  exclaimed  Jezebel,  in  a  jeering  tone, 
"what  next?" 

"  Oh,  child  of  man,  do  not  gibe.  Thou  knowest 
not  what  thou  doest.  My  body  was  drowned  and, 
after  the  flood,  was  found  and  recognized  by  my 
brother  Noah  and  his  sons,  with  the  other  victims 
of  the  rafts  lying  in  this  hollow  of  the  mountains; 
here  they  buried  us  and  raised  and  inscribed  our 
tombs.  But  my  shuddering  soul  went  into  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Lord  God  whose  laws  I  had  broken  and 
whose  mercy  I  had  despised,  to  be  remanded  to  the 
prisons  of  darkness  until  the  great  day  of  trial, 
when  all  who  ever  held  mortal  life  must  give  in 
their  accounts  of  the  deeds  done  in  the  body." 

"  Thou  hast  told  thy  story  well,  spirit,"  said 
Jezebel,  "  and  I  am  a  judge,  having  listened  to  the 


Samccb  17s 

best  recounters  in  Damascus,  but  I  do  not  see  its 
purport  as  regards  myself." 

"  Thou  art  dull  of  understanding,  woman.  Canst 
thou  not  perceive  that  what  thou  art  about  to  do,  I 
did,  and  that  I  am  sent  in  mercy  to  warn  thee  by 
my  example  ?  Like  thee,  I  sold  myself  to  Beelzebub, 
and  am  accursed  for  evermore.  Oh!  take  warning 
by  my  fate !  " 

"  How  do  I  know  that  thy  story  is  true  ?  "  said 
Jezebel,  "  or  that  there  is  really  another  life  after 
this,  O  spirit?" 

"  Am  not  I  a  proof  of  it  ?  Can  there  be  stronger 
evidence  than  one  who  is  risen  thus  from  the  dead  ?  '* 

"  Thou  mayest  be  an  impostor,  an  enemy  of  the 
prince,  or  only  an  apparition.  No,  spirit,  I  am  not 
easily  turned  from  my  purpose.  If  the  prince  will 
grant  my  desires,  I  will  serve  him  here  and  "  —  she 
paused  a  moment  —  "  hereafter  also,  if  there  is  a 
hereafter !  " 

"  Oh,  fool !  "  exclaimed  the  phantom.  "  Thou 
art  like  a  child  bartering  a  garden  of  delights  for  a 
dish  of  fair-rinded  but  rotten  fruit.  Thy  blood  be 
upon  thine  own  head.  I  have  fulfilled  my  mission 
and  given  my  message  and  will  say  no  more !  "  and 
slowly  and  imperceptibly  as  he  had  approached,  the 
antediluvian  Samech  disappeared  into  his  tomb. 

Jezebel  remained  a  short  while  alone  in  the  dark- 


176    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  of  ®l&  ?ubea 

ness;  then  perceived  Moloch  entering  the  enclosure 
in  his  stealthy  currish  manner,  and  knew  at  once 
that  her  familiar  was  at  hand. 

"  The  prince  is  ready,"  was  his  communication, 
and  Jezebel  rose  and  prostrated  herself  before  a 
faint  lurid  light  at  the  farther  end  of  the  enclosure 
of  rocks. 

"  Advance,"  said  the  familiar,  "  and  write  and 
sig^  the  requests  thou  desirest  of  the  prince." 

Jezebel  obeyed.  On  a  flat  raised  stone  an  open 
sheet  of  parchment  lay  with  a  pen  and  inkhorn  be- 
side it.     "  Write,"  said  the  familiar. 

"  The  horn  is  dry,"  she  answered. 

"  Thy  prophets  shed  their  blood  for  Baal.  Hast 
thou  none  of  thine  own  for  the  prince  ?  " 

Without  a  moment's  hesitation  the  dauntless 
woman  produced  a  knife  from  her  girdle,  pierced 
a  vein  above  her  wrist  and,  holding  it  over  the  ink- 
horn,  filled  it  with  her  blood,  then  taking  a  linen  gir- 
dle from  her  garments,  she  bound  up  the  wounded 
arm,  and  wrote  as  follows  upon  the  parchment  be- 
fore her: 

"  I,  Jezebel,  daughter  of  Baal's  high  priest,  ask  of 
Beelzebub,  the  prince  of  the  demons,  to  whom  is 
committed  the  gifts  of  this  earth,  to  grant  me  to  be 
the  daughter  of  a  king,  the  wife  of  a  king,  the 
mother  of  kings.    I  beg  him  to  continue  to  me  the 


Samecb  177 

health  and  wealth,  the  beauty  and  powers  of  mind 
I  now  possess.  I  petition  him  to  bestow  upon  me 
unbounded  power  and  unlimited  pleasures,  pomp, 
luxury  and  joy.  All  women  shall  envy  me  and  all 
men  shall  render  me  homage,  and  every  good  the 
world  can  give,  and  every  prosperity  the  prince  can 
offer  shall  be  mine,  with  the  pledge  of  a  long  life  in 
which  to  enjoy  these  things  —  "  she  raised  her  pen 
and  stopped  writing. 

"  What  wilt  thou  pay  for  these  good  things  ?  " 
suggested  the  familiar.  "  Write  thine  offer  of 
exchange." 

"  I  will  give  the  prince  the  services  of  this,  my 
present  life,  and  the  disposal  of  the  next,  if  there 
is  a  next !  " 

There  was  a  pause,  and  then  the  familiar  said : 

"  It  suffices.  The  prince  accepts  thy  offer  and 
will  perform  his  part  of  the  compact.  Sign  thy 
name." 

In  bold,  decided  characters  she  wrote  it,  and  then 
the  document  seemed  to  be  snatched  away  and  an- 
other rolled  up  and  sealed  was  substituted  in  its 
place. 

"  Take  it.  It  is  the  prince's  promise,"  said  the 
familiar.  "  Nay,"  as  Jezebel  was  about  to  open  it, 
"  there  is  no  time  to  read  it.    We  must  depart." 

"  Nay,  I  entreat,  I  implore,"  cried  Jezebel,  "  that 


17^    asalim :  H  IRomance  of  ©lb  5u&ca 

the  prince  reveal  himself  to  me  in  bodily  presence, 
if  it  is  only  for  a  moment.  Obtain  this  favour,  I  beg 
of  thee,  Moloch." 

There  was  a  sudden  blaze  of  light,  and  a  form 
stood  for  an  instant  before  her  of  such  wondrous 
grandeur  and  majesty  that  she  covered  her  face 
with  her  hands,  overwhelmed  with  the  sight. 

As  quickly  it  vanished,  and  a  face  appeared,  on 
the  features  of  which  the  expression  of  malignant 
hate  and  evil  passion  was  so  vivid  and  repulsive,  it 
revolted  even  the  soul  of  Jezebel,  ready  as  she  was 
to  sell  herself  to  sin.  This  picture  also  instantly  fell 
into  darkness,  and  the  same  face  again  flashed  forth 
with  such  a  horrible  despair  imprinted  upon  it,  that 
Jezebel  fell  senseless  to  the  ground. 

When  she  recovered,  she  found  herself  reclining 
on  a  couch  in  a  tent  on  the  slopes  of  the  Lebanon. 
Neroa,  the  witch,  was  seated  by  her,  and  out- 
side were  camels  and  attendants  in  readiness  to  con- 
vey her  back  to  Baalbec  when  she  was  sufficiently 
recovered. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

NAIA     HAJE 

When  Jezebel  opened  the  document  which  she 
had  taken  in  exchang^e  for  the  compact  so  solemnly 
signed  with  her  blood,  she  found  it  was  an  entirely- 
blank  sheet  of  parchment.  Not  one  word  or  letter, 
sign  or  seal  was  visible  on  any  part  of  it. 

Her  indignation  knew  no  bounds ;  she  summoned 
her  familiar,  and  demanding  back  her  own  deed  of 
contract,  renounced  her  allegiance  to  Beelzebub,  and 
vowed  she  would  become  from  henceforth  his 
enemy. 

"  Cease  this  childish  anger,"  replied  the  spirit. 
"  Can  the  billow  overturn  the  rock  against  which 
it  beats?  and  can  a  creature  of  dust  defy  a  spirit 
principality?  Thou  hast  offered  thy  terms  to  the 
prince  after  the  manner  of  thy  kind,  and  he  has  con- 
sented after  his  own  way.  I  have  told  thee  before 
that  if  it  is  worth  his  keeping,  thy  master  will  hold 
to  his  word.    Thy  business  is  to  make  it  worth  his 

keeping.    Thou  thyself  must  be  the  tool,  and  Beel- 

179 


i8o    Hsalim :  a  IRomance  of  ©l&  5u&ea 

zebub  will  be  the  hand  that  guides  thee.  Thy  first 
wish  is  to  be  the  daughter  of  a  king.  Thou  cans't 
have  but  one  father,  and  he  is  a  priest.  Let  thy 
head  be  steady,  thy  hand  firm,  and  thy  mind  subtle, 
and  he  shall  be  a  king.  The  chance  is  at  hand.  Let 
it  not  escape  thee." 

"  How  shall  I  seize  it  ?  "    she  asked. 

"  I  will  be  thy  guide,"  was  the  answer.  "  Wait 
and  watch." 

So,  like  a  leopard  crouching  beneath  the  under- 
.  growth  for  his  prey,  Jezebel  did  wait  and  watch, 
a  fit  match  for  the  wild  beast  in  beauty,  cunning  and 
relentless  cruelty. 

The  great  temple  was  cleared  and  the  doors  were 
closed,  for  Pelez,  the  King  of  Tyre,  was  coming  to 
be  cured  by  the  sun-god  of  a  painful  disease.  The 
physicians  had  failed  to  relieve  him,  but  the  priests 
asserted  that  if  he  were  anointed  with  the  blood  of 
the  prophets  shed  by  themselves  upon  Baal's  altar, 
he  would  be  restored  to  his  former  health,  and 
naturally  these  rites  were  to  be  performed  in  secret. 

In  a  chamber  adjoining  a  gallery  which  over- 
looked the  high  altar,  Jezebel  and  her  great  wolf- 
dog  Moloch  were  awaiting  the  high  priest,  who  had 
promised  to  exhibit  himself  to  his  daughter  in  the 
new  vestments  prepared  for  the  royal  ceremony, 


Ylala  fDHfe  iSi 

and  also  to  permit  her  to  stand  behind  a  curtain  in 
the  gallery  and  witness  the  performance. 

He  entered,  arrayed  in  robes  of  gorgeous  colour- 
ing and  the  richest  embroideries,  with  a  tiara  or 
high  crown  upon  his  head  set  with  gems  of  dazzling 
brilliancy.  It  was  a  question  if  the  grand  person  of 
Ethbaal  were  the  more  set  off  by  these  magnificent 
vestments,  or  whether  the  attire  gained  in  splendour 
by  his  fine  appearance.  "  Father,"  cried  Jezebel, 
enthusiastically,  "  thou  art  like  a  king  returning  in 
triumph  from  the  battle." 

"  Nay,  daughter,  these  garments  are  fitter  cloth- 
ing for  priests  and  women  than  for  the  chariots  and 
horse  of  the  man  of  war.  Give  me  the  helmet  and 
the  shield,  the  sword  and  the  spear,  and  I  will  pass 
over  these  trappings  and  stones  to  thee  and  thy 
maidens." 

"  Father,"  she  whispered,  "  if  the  king  dies  before 
he  returns  to  Tyre,  who  will  reign  in  his  stead  ?  " 

Ethbaal  started.  A  flush  of  confusion  rose  to  his 
forehead,  as  though  a  suggestion  struck  him.  "  He 
must  not  die,"  he  said.    "  He  is  my  guest." 

"  But  if  he  should  ?  If  the  chance  overtook  him, 
who  would  be  king  of  Tyre,  who  lord  of  Sidon  ?  " 
she  urged,  "  for  he  hath  only  young  children." 

"  It  is  no  business  of  thine  or  mine,  daughter," 
was  Ethbaal's  rebuke.     "  Cease  the  vain  inquiry." 


i82    asaltm :  H  IRomance  ot  ®l&  B\xt>ca 

"  But  it  is  a  business  of  thine  and  mine,  for  the 
magicians  say  that  the  gods  have  destined  thee  to 
be  the  king  if  Pelez  dies,"  cried  Jezebel,  boldly,  "  so 
let  thy  heart  be  stout  and  thy  hand  ready  when  the 
time  comes  to  seize  their  giit" 

She  turned  away,  and  Ethbaal,  without  another 
word,  left  the  chamber. 

It  was  night  and  the  orgy  was  over;  the  proph- 
ets had  wounded  themselves,  and  the  king  had  been 
anointed  with  their  blood,  and  was  resting  in  one  of 
the  apartments  adjoining  the  temple.  The  eunuch 
Gehanan  guarded  the  door  and  noiselessly  paced  up 
and  down  whilst  several  soldiers  kept  watch  at  a 
short  distance. 

A  woman  closely  veiled  approached  the  eunuch, 
and  touching  his  arm,  whispered  in  his  ear :  "  How 
fares  the  king?  " 

"  It  is  well  with  him,  daughter  of  Ethbaal,"  re- 
plied Gehanan.  "  He  sleeps,  and  the  physicians  say 
if  he  can  sleep  he  will  do  well." 

"Then  he  will  recover?"  interrupted  Jezebel, 
whom  Gehanan  had  at  once  recognized  by  her  voice. 

"  Yea,"  continued  Gehanan,  "  the  physicians  say 
that  if  he  sleeps  till  morning,  he  may  yet  live  long 
enough  to  see  his  son  grown  to  an  age  when  he  can 
reign  in  his  stead." 

"  Baal  be  praised,  who  hath  so  blessed  the  blood 


•Rata  l)aje  183 

of  his  prophets  for  the  cure  of  the  great  king,"  ob- 
served Jezebel.  "  I  will  come  again  at  dawn,  O 
Gehanan,  for  my  father  bade  me  bring  him  frequent 
tidings,"  and  she  returned  to  the  room  behind  the 
gallery,  where  Moloch  lay  crouching  and  whining 
on  the  floor. 

She  prepared  incantations  and  rites,  and,  like  the 
genii  of  Eastern  tales,  her  familiar  came  and  en- 
tered into  Moloch. 

"  Hear  and  advise,  O  spirit,"  —  she  apparently 
addressed  the  dog  —  "  Ethbaal  protects,  and  Geha- 
nan guards  this  man,  and  I  dare  not  slay  him,  for 
the  avenging  would  fall  upon  my  own  head." 

Moloch  approached  Jezebel  as  usual,  but  there 
was  no  answer. 

"  Thy  last  message  from  our  lord  Beelzebub  was 
that  he  would  only  help  me  if  I  helped  myself.  Here 
is  the  chance  of  my  becoming  the  daughter  of  a 
king,  and  I  cannot  take  it.  Help  me,  O  my  familiar, 
with  thy  counsel,  and  I  will  follow  it." 

"  There  is  a  company  of  serpent-charmers  from 
old  Eg3rpt  near  the  temple,  and  they  have  an  asp, 
the  Naia  Haje,  from  its  ancient  river,  whose  tooth 
is  painless  and  makes  no  sign  and  leaves  no  mark. 
The  man's  tongue  is  parched  and  his  throat  is  dry; 
he  longs  for  the  taste  of  the  purple  grape,  the  sharp 
red  juice  of  the  pomegranate,  and  the  luscious  flesh 


i84    Haallm:  H  IRomance  of  Olt>  5u&ea 

of  the  fig.  Dost  thou  understand,  daughter  of  Eth- 
baal  ?  If  so,  let  me  go,  for  I  have  work  to  do  else- 
where for  the  prince." 

"  Yea,  I  comprehend  thee,  O  spirit,  and  need 
thee  no  more  at  the  present  hour.  Go,  thou  art 
free."  As  she  spoke,  the  dog  rolled  on  the  floor, 
uttered  a  quick  cry  as  if  in  a  pang  of  parturition, 
and  came  whining  to  the  feet  of  his  mistress,  who, 
taking  a  bone  from  a  dish  on  a  table,  flung  it  on  a 
mat  and  bade  him  lie  down  and  be  consoled. 

It  was  morning,  and  Gehanan  still  guarded  the 
door  of  the  bedchamber  of  the  King  of  Tyre  and 
Sidon,  and  the  soldiers  tramped  to  and  fro  before 
it.  Jezebel,  closely  veiled,  and  this  time  followed  by 
an  attendant  carrying  a  covered  basket,  again 
touched  Gehanan's  arm,  and  inquired : 

"  How  fares  the  king  ?      Is  he  awake  ?  " 

"  He  is  awake  and  refreshed  with  his  rest,"  re- 
turned the  eunuch,  "  and  bade  me  send  his  greeting 
to  thy  father." 

"  I  bring  an  offering  of  flowers  and  fruit  from 
the  high  priest,"  she  said,  "  and  am  commanded  to 
present  it  myself  to  the  king  and  bear  back  his  mes- 
sage." 

Gehanan  hesitated.  He  mistrusted  Jezebel,  and 
his  order  had  been  to  admit  none  besides  the  physi- 
cians to  the  king's  presence. 


laaia  Daje  iSs 

"  Thou  need's!  not  fear,"  she  remarked,  coldly, 
"  I  do  not  desire  to  see  him  alone.  Thou  canst  ac- 
company me  and  my  servant." 

Without  further  objection,  the  eunuch  opened  the 
door  and  drew  aside  the  curtain,  and  the  three 
entered  the  apartment. 

The  king  lay,  a  most  repulsive  object,  propped 
up  with  cushions  upon  a  couch.  Since  his  bath  of 
blood  he  had  neither  been  washed  nor  tended,  and 
the  red  liquid  had  dried  upon  him ;  with  his  matted 
hair,  swollen  eyes,  and  haggard  features,  he  resem- 
bled a  maniac  rather  than  a  sane  man.  Jezebel  took 
the  basket  from  the  attendant's  hand,  and  made  a 
low  obeisance  before  the  king,  as  she  said : 

"  I  am  Jezebel,  the  daughter  of  Baal's  high  priest, 
and  I  bring  an  offering  to  thee,  O  king,  of  fruit  and 
flowers,  to  refresh  thee  in  this  thine  hour  of  weak- 
ness."        .  . 

"  I  thank  the  high  priest,  and  would  that  thou 
unveiledst  thy  face,  that  I  may  look  upon  and  thank 
thee  also." 

She  at  once  complied  with  his  request. 

'*  Thou  art  very  fair,"  he  said,  "  and  worthy  of 
being  a  queen  thyself.  I  would  that  the  mother 
of  my  son  had  not  already  filled  the  place,  and  that 
I  can  only  ask  thee  of  thy  father  as  the  chief  of  my 
concubines." 


i86    aaalim :  H  "Romance  of  ®lt>  5u&ea 

"  That  honour  is  too  great  for  me,  O  king !"  re- 
plied Jezebel,  darting  on  him  a  glance  from  her 
serpentine  eyes  which  he  fortunately  did  not  ob- 
serve, "  but  I  will  not  intrude  longer  on  thy  pa- 
tience. These  flowers  will  refresh  thee,  the  fruit  is 
choice  and  will  allay  thy  thirst.  I  will  place  the 
basket  by  the  side  of  thy  couch,  within  reach  of  thy 
hand,  O  king !  "  She  removed  the  cover  and  drew 
a  small  table  close  to  the  side  of  the  king,  on  which 
she  laid  the  basket  containing  the  richest,  rarest 
fruits  and  exquisite  flowers.  Then  bending  low, 
she  kissed  the  uncovered  foot  of  the  king  and  left 
the  apartment. 

The  hours  passed,  and  the  noonday  heat  came, 
but  all  was  still  in  the  royal  bedchamber.  "  The 
king  sleeps  long,"  said  Gehanan  to  the  visiting 
physician,  who  went  away,  saying,  "  We  will  not 
disturb  him.    If  he  sleeps  he  will  do  well." 

After  awhile,  a  misgiving  came  to  the  eunuch; 
he  stole  quietly  into  the  chamber,  and  at  once,  to 
his  horror,  perceived  that  the  sleep  was  that  of 
death. 

Calm,  quiet,  peaceful,  without  sign  of  pain  or 
struggle,  lay  the  body  of  the  king  in  the  last  awful 
sleep  of  mortality.  It  needed  no  second  glance  to 
tell  the  eunuch  this,  nor  a  second  thought  to  realize 


•ftaia  fjaje  187 

the  danger  to  his  master  Ethbaal,  and,  consequently, 
to  himself. 

Pelez  had  journeyed  in  royal  state  to  Baalbec 
with  chariots  and  horses,  soldiers  and  attendants, 
and  all  this  train  had  been  located  in  the  city,  while 
their  royal  master  gave  himself  alone  into  the  care 
of  the  high  priest  and  his  prophets,  in  order  that 
Baal  might  perform  the  miracle  of  his  cure  more 
completely. 

Gehanan  did  not  lose  his  self-command.  He  at 
once  examined  the  lifeless  form,  but  found  no  marks 
of  violence  upon  it.  Then  he  sought  explanation 
amongst  the  medicines  and  drinks  provided;  noth- 
ing had  been  moved  or  tampered  with.  He  could 
not  solve  the  mystery. 

He  left  the  room,  bolted  the  door,  and  hastened 
to  Ethbaal.  "  Great  priest,"  he  whispered,  "  the 
king  is  dead !  The  gods  must  have  smitten  him. 
Come   and   behold   the   ruin." 

Ethbaal  gazed  upon  the  royal  corpse  in  silence 
for  some  moments.  Then,  turning  to  the  eunuch, 
he  said,  sternly : 

"  Thou  hast  betrayed  thy  trust,  and  shalt  surely 
die.     Who  hath  entered  here  ?  " 

"  I  have  not  betrayed  my  trust,  master,"  replied 
Gehanan,  earnestly,  "  not  a  living  soul  hath  en- 
tered this  chamber  but  the  physician  and  myself  — 


i88    asalim :  a  IRomance  of  ©It)  3ut)ea 

save,"  he  corrected  himself,  "  thy  daughter  Jeze- 
bel, who  came  with  a  message  from  thee  to  Pelez, 
and  I  was  present  with  her  whilst  with  the  king." 

"  I  did  not  send  her,  I  gave  no  message,"  said 
Ethbaal. 

"  She  brought  that  basket  of  flowers  and  fruit 
as  from  thee,  O  master,  and  the  king  was  pleased 
with  her  beauty,  and  said  he  would  ask  her  from 
thee  to  be  the  chief  of  his  concubines." 

Ethbaal  raised  a  spray  of  lilies,  already  fading, 
from  the  basket  as  he  suggested.  "  Perhaps  the 
fruit  was  poisoned.  Let  us  examine  it,  Gehanan." 
Then,  with  a  cry  of  "  *Tis  the  Naia  Haje,"  he 
started  back.  The  eunuch,  rushing  forward,  saw 
the  flat  head  and  forked  tongue  of  the  fatal  Egyp- 
tian asp.  Disturbed  by  the  removal  of  the  lilies, 
it  was  loosening  its  coils  for  a  fatal  spring,  when, 
with  admirable  dexterity,  Gehanan  drew  a  sharp 
Damascus  blade  from  his  girdle,  and  struck  off  the 
reptile's  head,  which  fell  with  its  writhing  body 
among  the  fruit  and  flowers. 

The  cause  of  the  mischief  was  clear  enough. 
The  fruit  had  been  disarranged  by  the  royal  hand, 
which  had  thus  received  the  fatal  poison  from  the 
tooth  of  the  Naia  Haje.  The  priest  lifted  the  wrist 
of  the  corpse,  and  there  saw  a  slight,  almost  in- 


I^ata  "toaje  189 

visible,  red  spot,  which,  save  under  close  inspec- 
tion, would  pass  undetected. 

"  Bring  my  daughter  here,  and  give  me  that 
knife,  eunuch,"  said  Ethbaal,  sternly.  "  She  hath 
wrought  my  ruin,  and,  as  surely  as  Baal  shines 
in  the  heavens,  my  hand  shall  slay  her  as  thine 
hath  done  this  serpent.  Ay,  although  she  is  the 
child  of  her  I  still  love  and  for  whom  I  still  grieve." 
.  As  he  was  speaking,  Jezebel  entered  the  chamber 
attired  like  a  princess,  and  more  superb  in  beauty 
and  imperious  in  bearing  than  usual.  There  was 
a  triumphant  gleam  in  her  eyes,  a  scornful,  satisfied 
curl  on  her  lip,  that  ill  became  the  expectant  vic- 
tim of  her  father's  wrath. 

"  Hail  to  thee,  King  of  Tyre  and  Sidon,"  she 
cried,  bending  her  head  and  bowing  the  knee  be- 
fore him.  "  There  lies  the  dead  king.  Here  stands 
the  living  one." 

"  Cease  this  raving,  woman,"  exclaimed  Eth- 
baal, in  violent  anger.  "  Thou  hast  brought  ruin 
and  death  upon  me  by  this  crime,"  pointing  to  the 
basket,  "  and  shalt  share  the  doom  of  him  thou 
hast  slain." 

"  Cease  thy  folly,  rather,  father,"  cried  his 
daughter.  "  Thou  wert  too  great  a  craven  to  com*- 
mit  the  crime.  Do  not  be  too  great  a  fool  to  profit 
by  it." 


I90    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  of  ^l^  5u^ea 

"  Profit  by  it,"  repeated  the  priest.  "  I  shall 
be  torn  in  pieces  by  the  Sidonians  when  they  are 
informed  of  the  king's  death." 

"  Why  need  they  know  ?  Call  in  the  physician 
and  his  assistant.  They  can  be  trusted,  and  suffi- 
ciently bribed.  Wash  and  paint  and  clothe  the 
dead  king  in  his  royal  robes.  Place  him  in  his 
chariot,  and  take  him  back  as  he  came,  to  Tyre. 
Give  out  that  the  king  is  sick.  Govern  thou  in 
his  name  until  thou  art  established,  and  lo!  then 
Pelez  shall  die,  and  Ethbaal  shall  reign  in  his 
stead." 

"  In  the  name  of  Baal,  O  master,  thy  daughter 
speaketh  wisely,"  said  Gehanan.  "  There  is  no 
other  chance  of  escape." 

"There  is  none  other,"  said  Jezebel,  stroking 
the  head  of  Moloch,  who  followed  at  her  heels. 
"  Thou  hast  confessed,  O  my  father,  thou  wouldst 
prefer  the  kingly  to  the  priestly  office,  and  my 
lord  Beelzebub,  the  prince  of  the  demons,  hath 
destined  me  to  be  a  king's  daughter." 

All  was  carried  out  as  Jezebel  had  suggested. 
A  proclamation  was  made  through  the  streets  of 
Baalbec  that  the  sun-god  had  cured  the  king,  who 
would  at  once  return  to  Tyre.  A  couch,  with  a 
close  canopy,  was  prepared  in  his  chariot,  and, 
when  the  royal  train  reached  the  capital,  it  passed 


'naia  Daje  191 

in  triumphal  procession  through  its  streets;  the 
next  day  a  herald  announced  at  the  doors  of  the 
temples,  at  the  gates,  and  in  the  market-places, 
that  until  the  king's  perfect  recovery,  Ethbaal,  the 
high  priest  of  Baalbec,  should  administer  his  kingly 
power. 

One  day  the  news  ran  through  the  city,  "  The 
king  is  dead."  Ere  the  inhabitants  had  recovered 
from  their  surprise,  the  tidings  followed  that  Eth- 
baal was  king  in  his  place.  There  were  none  to 
contest  his  right,  for  the  king's  only  son  was  a 
mere  child.  There  was  no  time  to  set  up  a  rival, 
or  an  opposition,  and  so,  without  riot,  discontent, 
or  bloodshed,  the  high  priest  exchanged  the  altar 
for  the  throne. 

Thus  Jezebel  gained  the  first  point  of  her  am- 
bition; she  was  the  daughter  of  a  king. 

How  fared  it  with  Azalim  whilst  all  these  changes 
and  intrigues  were  going  on  ? 

The  reversal  of  the  usual  matrimonial  routine  of 
the  sexes  happened  in  the  relations  of  Azalim  and 
Jezebel.  The  security  and  possession  of  marriage, 
which  is  generally  apt  to  moderate,  if  not  to  cool 
love  in  the  man's  nature,  has  the  contrary  effect 
of  increasing  the  affections  in  the  woman.  But, 
with  Jezebel,  the  wild  passion  that  led  her  to  reck- 
lessly throw  away  her  future,  through  her  imprudent 


192    Ssalim :  a  IRomance  of  ©15  3u^ea 

marriage,  died  away  after  the  birth  of  her  child,  as 
suddenly  as  it  had  come  into  existence,  whilst  with 
Azalim,  his  attachment,  nay,  rather  his  infatua- 
tion, for  his  wife  increased  a  hundred  fold.  No 
bad  humour  or  tyrannical  caprice  on  her  part  es- 
tranged him,  nor  did  absence  lessen,  nor  Reparation 
destroy  the  intensity  of  his  love.  Like  a  spaniel 
to  his  master,  a  soldier  to  his  general,  a  parent  to 
his  spoilt  child,  the  greater  the  severity,  exaction, 
and  ingratitude  on  the  one  part,  the  stronger  and 
more  complete  was  the  devotion  on  the  other. 

When  Jezebel's  compact  with  the  evil  one  had 
opened  to  her  future  such  great  and  boundless 
dreams  of  ambition,  her  indifference  to  Azalim 
gradually  grew  to  aversion,  and  then  to  hate.  When. 
she  became  a  Sidonian  princess,  for  Ethbaal,  being  a 
Sidonian,  held  his  chief  court  and  residence  in 
Sidon,  all  her  thoughts  and  energies  were  turned 
into  schemes  to  get  rid  of  him.  She  had  hinted 
at  divorcement,  but  Azalim  had  so  resolutely  refused 
to  consider  the  proposal,  urging  the  impossibility 
of  his  parting  from  her,  and  also  his  vow  to  the 
prophet  never  to  dissolve  the  marriage  save  by 
the  hand  of  death,  that  she  set  this  idea  aside  as 
hopeless. 

He  had  insisted  on  retaining  his  post  in  her 
father's  household,  and  fearing  he  would  reveal  the 


•flaia  Ibaje  193 

truth,  she  had  consented  to  his  wish.  The  child 
had  been  put  away  to  nurse,  the  mother  not  even 
affecting  any  interest  in  it,  whilst  the  father  re- 
garded it  with  passionate  parental  affection,  and 
marked  its  little  shoulder  with  the  name  of  Astarte, 
after  the  fashion  of  sailors  and  herdsmen.  His 
love  for  this  child  was  the  mingled  protection  of 
a  father,  and  the  tenderness  of  a  mother. 

Having  failed  in  her  proposal  of  separation, 
Jezebel  tried  to  inspire  him  with  a  desire  for  liberty, 
and  an  appeal  to  his  patriotism  and  love  of  country. 
She  would  obtain  his  freedom,  she  said,  or  give 
him  gold  and  silver  sufficient  to  purchase  cattle 
and  land,  so  that  he  might  hold  his  own  amongst 
the  elders  of  Israel.  But  Azalim  was  hurt  by  her 
proposals,  and  told  her  lovingly  that  her  country 
was  his  country,  her  presence  his  chief  joy,  her 
affection  his  supreme  happiness.  She  was  a  princess 
now ;  he  knew  it  too  well  —  yet  he  was  her  husband, 
and  he  would  never  leave  her,  content,  for  the  love  he 
bore  her,  to  be  her  willing  slave  and  faithful 
servant. 

Jezebel  was  not  all  evil.  Bad  as  she  was  now, 
and  worse  as  she  afterward  became,  she  yet  re- 
tained a  remnant  of  the  godlike  nature  breathed 
into  the  image  of  moistened  dust  when  man  be- 
came a  living  soul.     She  was  touched  by  her  hus- 


194    H3altm :  H  IRomance  ot  ®lt)  5uC>ca 

band's  passionate  protestation,  his  devoted  con- 
stancy, so  different  from  the  selfish,  passing  lusts 
of  the  men  of  pleasure  and  sensuality  with  whom 
she  mixed,  and  she  checked  the  deadly  purpose  of 
death  which  had  entered  her  brain.  As  Azalim 
threw  himself  at  her  feet,  and  rested  his  head  upon 
her  knees,  she  caressed  and  kissed  him,  and  told  him 
he  was  worth  more  than  a  king's  crown,  or  the  love 
of  every  Syrian  man  rolled  into  one;  and  at  the 
moment,  as  she  gazed  down  upon  the  comely  fea- 
tures and  fine  form  of  her  young  husband,  and 
listened  to  his  vows  of  love,  she  meant  what  she 
said. 

At  the  interview  of  these  two  lovers,  —  for  in  the 
secrecy  of  their  meetings,  the  supplicating  appeals 
of  the  man,  and  the  half-hesitating,  half-loving  re- 
sponse of  the  woman,  more  resembled  the  uncertain 
aspirants  for  love  than  the  assured  position  of 
marriage,  —  a  third  person  had,  with  eye  and  ear, 
silently  assisted. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

APOSTASY 

Gehanan  had  received  large  gifts  in  return  for 
his  silence  and  aid  in  the  death  of  Pelez,  and  was 
appointed  to  a  responsible  post  at  the  court  of  the 
new  king,  but  here  his  reward  ceased.  He  was 
deeply  disappointed,  having  hoped  to  be  included 
in  the  government  of  the  state,  and  the  conviction 
that  he  owed  this  neglect  to  the  Princess  Jezebel 
did  not  lessen  the  antagonism  he  entertained  toward 
her. 

He  had,  in  fact,  reason  for  this  surmise.  Jezebel 
did  not  forget,  and  certainly  she  did  not  forgive,  the 
barriers  which  the  eunuch's  vigilance  had  placed 
between  herself  and  liberty  and  pleasure  in  Da- 
mascus. Since  her  crime  and  her  counsel  had  given 
the  thrones  of  Tyre  and  Sidon  to  her  father,  her 
influence  with  him  was  very  great,  and  she  took  care 
that  Gehanan  should  not  be  in  a  position  to  rival 
her  power. 

The  subtle  and  mortified  eunuch  resolved  on  re- 
"95 


196    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  ot  ®l^  5u&ea 

venge  and  kept  a  quiet  but  close  watch  upon  the 
princess.  The  good  understanding  existing  between 
her  and  the  Hebrew  captive  had  not  escaped  him, 
and  he  made  up  his  mind  to  di^over  the  foundation 
of  this  easy  famiharity.  The  step  of  Gehanan  was 
as  noiseless  as  the  tread  of  a  wildcat.  The  hunted 
hare  was  not  quicker  of  ear;  the  eye  of  the  eagle 
was  scarce  keener  of  sight,  than  his.  The  slaves 
declared  that  whispers  in  the  eaves  of  the  house 
were  heard  by  the  eunuch  on  the  housetop,  and  a 
theft  committed  in  the  dark  on  one  side  of  a  wall 
was  witnessed  by  him  on  the  other.  Now  these 
sharp  senses  were  put  to  a  watch  to  find  out  the 
secrets  of  the  princess  and  the  slave. 

They  were  lovers,  he  soon  divined.  But  what  of 
that?  Since  she  escaped  his  guardianship,  Jezebel 
had  many  lovers,  —  favoured  to-day,  dismissed  to- 
morrow. There  must  be  more  than  this  in  their 
intimate  intercourse. 

Every  room  in  the  Sidonian  palace  communicated 
with  another,  ranging  in  one  long  chain  through- 
out its  extent;  behind  the  embroidered  curtains  of 
one  of  the  doors  of  the  chamber  in  which  Azalim 
and  Jezebel  held  the  converse  just  related,  Gehanan 
crouched  and  heard  the  revelation  which  he  foresaw 
would  place  Ethbaal's  daughter  in  his  power,  and 
which  he  hoped  would  render  her  a  pliant  tool  in 


Spostasi?  197 

his  hands.  "  I  will  bide  my  time,"  he  said  to  him- 
self, as  he  stole  away,  "  and  when  thy  sky  is  bluest 
and  thy  path  most  flowery,  I  will  launch  my  thun- 
derbolt and  trip  up  thy  feet,  thou  proud  daughter 
of  an  ungrateful  priest." 

Truly,  it  was  a  valuable  discovery  for  the  wily 
eunuch  to  find  his  master's  daughter  was  the  wife 
of  an  Israelite  prisoner,  who  refused  to  release  her 
from  an  imprudent  marriage. 

Confident  in  the  belief  that  her  union  with  Azalim 
was  known  only  to  him  and  to  herself,  Jezebel  re- 
volved scheme  after  scheme  in  her  own  mind  for  the 
severing  of  her  matrimonial  tie.  Death,  she  told  her- 
self, would  be  the  surest  and  simplest  solution  of  the 
difficulty,  but  little  as  she  respected  human  life,  the 
memory  of  her  love  for  the  goodly  young  Israelite 
withheld  her  from  this  extreme  measure.  Yet 
where  could  she  find  a  safe  alternative? 

Wiser  in  her  generation  than  the  children  of  light, 
she  sought  counsel  from  a  higher  intelligence  than 
her  own.     She  summoned  her  familiar. 

Since  the  hour  when  the  huge  wolf-dog  had  been 
dedicated  to  the  service  of  the  prince  of  the  demons, 
a  change  had  come  over  the  creature's  outward  na- 
ture. Now  and  then  his  fierce  savagery  sprang 
forth,  and  he  had  to  be  securely  chained,  lest  in  his 
apparent  madness  he  attacked  any  who  came  in  his 


198    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  of  ®l&  5u&ea 

way,  but  he  usually  exhibited  the  mean,  cowardly 
nature  of  a  cur,  sneaking  abjectly  behind  his  mis- 
tress, and  falling  down  insensible  for  a  short  while 
after  possession  by  the  familiar. 

"  Speak,  Moloch,"  said  Jezebel,  as  the  great  dog 
entered  her  presence.  "  Thy  prince  hath  made  me 
the  daughter  of  a  king,  and  now  I  desire  to  become 
the  wife  of  a  king,  and  —  " 

"  The  consort  of  the  young  King  of  Israel,  Ahab," 
interrupted  the  familiar,  in  the  sharp  spirit  whisper 
in  which  he  conversed  with  Jezebel,  "  but  a  woman 
of  the  earth  can  have  but  one  husband,  and  thine 
lives!" 

"  True,  O  spirit,  and  he  refuses  to  free  me.  I  need 
my  liberty,  and  have  summoned  thee  to  aid  and 
counsel  me." 

"  Slay  him,  daughter  of  earth." 

"  That  I  will  not  do.  Now  that  we  are  parting, 
I  find  that  I  love  him  still.  He  shall  not  die,  and  yet 
I  must  be  rid  of  him,  for  I  love  to  be  a  queen  better 
than  I  love  him.  Direct  me,  O  spirit,  by  thy  wisdom 
of  darkness." 

"  Change  thine  enemy  to  a  friend." 

"  My  enemy?    Who  is  he?  " 

"  He  who  crouched  behind  thy  curtain  and 
learnt  thy  secret,  daughter  of  Ethbaal." 

"  Gehanan  ?  "    whispered  Jezebel. 


Hpostasi?  199 

"  Ay,  the  same.  Make  him  thy  tool  ere  he  uses 
his  knowledge  against  thee.  Hast  thou  any  further 
commands?" 

"  Nay,  I  understand.     Go." 

Moloch  fell  to  the  ground,  and  Jezebel  was  left 
with  her  own  thoughts. 

Since  her  marriage  with  Azalim,  Jezebel  had  dis- 
pensed with  the  attendance  of  her  Nubian  youths, 
and  had  substituted  for  them  the  services  of  an 
Ethiopian,  who,  after  a  cruel  practice  of  the  times, 
had  undergone  the  loss  of  his  tongue,  thus  rendering 
him  incapable  of  betraying  his  employer's  secrets, 
whilst  still  being  able  to  comprehend  and  obey  or- 
ders. This  man's  duty  was  to  remain  in  attendance 
outside  the  doors  of  the  princess's  apartments,  al- 
ways ready  to  do  her  errands  and  carry  her 
messages. 

A  sharp  rap  or  two  upon  a  brazen  shield  brought 
him  into  Jezebel's  presence. 

"  Find  Gehanan,  and  bring  him  here,"  she  said. 

The  signs  made  by  the  negro  were  well  under- 
stood in  the  palace,  and  the  eunuch  followed  him 
into  the  presence  of  the  princess,,  made -obeisance 
before  her  in  his  usual  sycophantic  manner,  and 
desired  to  know  her  commands. 

Jezebel  rose  from  her  seat,  and  with  an  inexpressi- 


200    Hsaltm :  H  IRomance  of  ®l&  3u^ea 

ble  haughtiness  of  look  and  manner  confronted  the 
eunuch,  who  stood  just  within  the  curtain  of  the 
door.  "  My  command  is  that  thou  repeat  to  me, 
word  for  word,  what  the  hstening  slave,  crouching 
behind  the  curtain,  heard  of  the  converse  that  passed 
between  my  servant,  the  young  Gileadite,  and  my- 
self." 

For  a  moment  a  lie  was  on  Gehanan's  lip,  but  a 
glance  at  the  angry  face  of  the  king's  daughter 
changed  his  purpose  and  extorted  the  truth. 

"  He  heard,  princess,  that  this  young  Gileadite 
was  thy  husband,  and  refused  to  put  thee  away." 

The  directness  of  this  answer  sent  a  momentary 
shock  through  Jezebel,  but  she  quickly  recovered, 
and  said,  sternly: 

"  Is  it  to  be  war  or  partnership  between  us, 
eunuch  ? " 

"  Partnership,  great  princess,"  was  the  prompt 
reply. 

"  Partnership  be  it,  but  listen  to  my  terms,"  was 
her  answer.  "  I  will  pay  thee  well  for  thy  share, 
but  the  work  must  be  of  my  appointment  and  the 
pay  of  my  apportionment,  and  the  gods  do  so  to 
me  and  more  also,  Gehanan,  if  thou  ever  betrayest 
this  my  secret." 

"  I  hear,  and  consent,  great  princess,"  said 
Gehanan. 


Hpostasi?  20I 

"  Then  depart  now  and  await  my  instructions," 
said  Jezebel,  as  she  waved  him  away  with  an  im- 
perious gesture. 

It  happened  about  this  time  there  was  a  rumour 
in  Sidon  that  Ahab,  the  young  King  of  Israel,  was 
coming  to  demand  of  Ethbaal  the  hand  of  his 
daughter  Jezebel  in  marriage.  As  a  matter  of 
course  the  report  reached  the  ears  of  Azalim,  who 
straightway  rushed  into  the  presence  of  the  princess 
and  demanded  to  know  if  the  news  had  any  founda- 
tion in  fact. 

"  Yes !  "  she  replied.  "  The  King  of  Israel  hath 
asked  me  of  my  father,  who  naturally  desires  to 
g^ve  his   consent." 

Then  again  the  reversal  of  the  matrimonial  rela- 
tions of  these  two  took  place,  and  Azalim,  like  a 
neglected  wife  of  a  faithless  husband,  poured  out 
a  mingled  passion  of  appeals,  reproaches,  and  even 
threats,  whilst  Jezebel,  like  an  unworthy  husband, 
was  rather  irritated  than  touched  by  these  remon- 
strances. Azalim  was  her  husband,  but  she  was  now 
a  princess  and  could  ill  tolerate  reproaches  from  a 
Hebrew  captive  and  landless  herdsman.  She  was 
about  to  express  her  displeasure  in  no  mild  terms, 
when  a  threat  from  Azalim  changed  her  impulse. 

"  If  thou  wilt  not  devise  means,  beloved,  to  avert 
this  marriage,  I  will  go  in  to  thy  father  and  declare 


202    asalim :  H  IRomancc  of  ®l^  5ut)ca 

before  him  and  the  young  Ahab  that  thou  art  my 
wife!" 

Jezebel's  face  paled.  She  knew  the  danger,  the 
utter  destruction,  this  step  would  bring  upon  her,  so 
she  temporized. 

"  Come  here,  love  of  my  soul,"  she  whispered, 
"  and  lay  thy  head  upon  my  lap ;  we  will  consult  to- 
gether how  to  evade  this  union,  for  I  love  thee, 
Azalim,  and  care  not  for  King  Ahab,  and  prefer 
poverty  with  thee  to  the  crown  of  Israel." 

"  Yea,  beloved,"  assented  Azalim,  with  fond  faith 
in  her,  "  love  in  the  wilderness  is  better  than  thrones 
without  love." 

She  seated  herself  on  a  low  divan,  and  Azalim, 
at  her  feet,  rested  his  head  upon  her  knees,  whilst 
she  caressed  him  with  her  hands,  and  kissed  him 
with  her  lips,  but  had  he  looked  up  as  she  spoke, 
he  might  have  been  less  simple,  for  an  expression 
half  scorn,  half  amusement,  passed  over  the  fine, 
haughty  features.  Had  she  indeed  sold  her  soul 
to  the  prince  for  love  in  the  wilderness?  Her  soul! 
She  did  not  really  believe  in  the  existence  of  the 
thing,  still  less  in  its  worth,  but  such  as  it  was,  she 
had  given  it  already  to  be  the  daughter  of  a  king. 
She  was  that,  and  now  it  was  within  her  grasp  to 
be  the  wife  of  one!  Her  comely  Azalim  was  in- 
deed a  fool!    Love  in  the  wilderness! 


Hpostasg  203 

The  look  of  contempt  and  ridicule  passed  away, 
and  as  the  husband  looked  up  he  was  dazzled  by 
the  increased  beauty  in  his  wife's  face,  for  the  pros- 
pect of  her  fulfilled  ambition  had  illuminated  her 
features  with  a  great  joy.  "Jezebel,"  he  cried, 
"  leave  me  not,  or  I  die." 

"  Listen  to  me,  husband,"  she  said,  gravely. 
"  Thou  knowest  that  above  every  other  wish  I  desire 
the  honour  of  our  great  god  Baal,  ay,  even  above 
my  love  for  thee.  Now,  if  I  forego  the  throne  of 
Israel  for  thy  love,  thou,  on  thy  part,  must  sacrifice 
something  for  me !  " 

"  I  will  do  whatsoever  thou  requirest,"  cried 
Azalim,  "  if  thou  wilt  swear  by  Baal  to  reject  the 
King  of  Israel." 

"  Agreed.  Now  thou  must  go  without  a  day's 
delay  to  Dan  in  Israel,  and  there  procure  from  the 
priests  of  the  golden  calf  the  promise  that  they  will 
exchange  its  worship  for  that  of  Baal,  and  obtain 
their  oaths,  signs,  and  seals  to  that  effect." 

"  But  they  will  not  listen  to  so  mad  a  proposal 
from  so  mean  a  messenger,"  interposed  Azalim. 

"  Hear  me  to  the  end,  thou  simple  one.  Thou 
must  take  money,  and  promise  more.  The  priests  of 
the  calves  are  needy.  Let  them  name  their  own 
price,  and  it  shall  be  paid,  conditional  with  their  con- 
sent   Then  thou  must  pass  through  the  length  of 


204    Baalim :  B  IRomance  ot  ^lt>  5u^ea 

the  land  to  Beersheba,  to  the  other  calf,  and  gain 
the  same  consent ;  when  thou  bearest  back  the  docu- 
ments, the  price  shall  be  given,  and  I  will  fly  with 
thee  to  the  wilderness  and  —  and  —  love !  " 

"  Again  I  say,"  returned  Azalim,  "  swear  by  Baal 
thou  wilt  not  wed  Ahab." 

"  If  thou  bringest  me  the  abjuration  of  the  calves, 
yea;  and  in  thy  turn  swear  thou  to  me  by  thy  God 
of  Israel,  that  thou  wilt  never  reveal  our  marriage 
to  any  living  soul." 

"  Nay,"  said  Azalim,  shrinking  from  the  proposed 
oath.    "  Let  me  also  swear  by  Baal !  " 

"  As  thou  wilt.  Come."  She  rose,  and  Azalim 
followed  her  to  an  altar  of  Baal  in  the  corner  of  the 
room  curtained  into  a  kind  of  oratory.  Both  took 
the  oath,  and  made  the  sign  of  the  sun  by  touching 
each  side  of  the  cheek  with  the  middle  finger.  Jeze- 
bel resumed  her  position  on  the  divan,  and  Azalim 
rested  his  head  again  on  her  lap,  and,  like  Delilah 
before  her,  she  soothed  her  slave  to  sleep. 

"  Poor  fool,"  she  half  sighed,  as  she  made  mes- 
meric passes  over  his  head  and  face.  "  I  wonder 
whether  any  other  man  will  love  me  as  he  has 
loved?" 

Azalim  rose  early  the  next  morning.  A  strong, 
swift  mule  had  been  provided  for  him ;  a  mantle  and 
a  coat  were  also  prepared.     In  the  lining  of  the 


Hpo6ta0p  205 

latter,  money  was  concealed,  and  in  the  folds  of 
the  former  he  could,  if  necessary,  disguise  himself. 
Bags  were  also  furnished,  filled  with  food,  and  thus 
fully  equipped  he  started  on  his  unholy  mission. 

When  he  was  fairly  on  the  road,  the  princess  sum- 
moned Gehanan  and  explained  to  him  the  errand 
to  the  calf  of  Dan.  "  Go  after  him,"  she  said. 
"  Take  with  thee  six  picked  men  of  the  king's  guard, 
as  though  on  royal  service,  and  keep  him  in  view. 
As  he  proceeds  on  his  way  to  Beersheba,  select  a 
solitary  place,  and  then  seize  and  bring  him  to  the 
king's  prison  at  Syria.  But  take  not  his  life.  I  will 
give  thee,  Gehanan,  many  a  high  sum  if  thou  fulfil 
my  orders,  but  if  he  be  slain,  thou  shalt  only  have 
a  fourth  of  this  reward." 

So  the  eunuch  and  his  men  followed  on  the  track 
of  Azalim,  who  arrived  without  incident  or  inter- 
ruption at  the  shrine  of  the  molten  calf  of  Dan. 

He  met  with  no  difficulty  with  the  facile  priests. 
They  were  selected  from  the  scum  of  the  population, 
and  entered  the  priesthood  of  the  calves  in  order  to 
gain  a  livelihood  without  labour.  It  was  not  a  rich 
religious  establishment,  and  there  was  little  to  tempt 
superior  men  to  enter  it.  They  agreed  to  the  pro- 
posals of  the  document,  in  return  for  the  promised 
payment,  with  the  proviso  that  the  new  King  Ahab 
did  not  oppose  the  change. 


2o6    asalim :  H  IRomance  ot  ®l&  5u&ea 

With  spirits  elated  at  his  success,  he  turned  his 
bock  on  Dan  and  proceeded  on  his  way  to  Beer- 
sheba,  passing  the  eunuch  and  his  Httle  band,  who 
were  disguised,  without  recognition,  and  humming 
a  Syrian  love-song  as  he  rode.  On  the  second  day 
he  found  himself  entangled  among  the  ways  of  the 
vineyards  which  covered  a  sunny  slope  of  country 
lying  to  the  south. 

Suddenly  he  stopped  his  song,  for  not  thirty  feet 
before  him  stood  the  tall,  majestic  figure  of  a  man 
who  seemed  to  fill  up  the  narrow  path  and  bar  his 
way.  The  soul  of  Azalim  turned  cold  within  him. 
There  was  no  mistaking  the  leonine  head,  the  stately, 
hair-clad,  leather-girdled  form.  It  was  the  great 
prophet  Elijah. 

The  sight  of  the  prophet  called  Azalim's  sins  to 
his  remembrance.  Oh,  that  he  could  fly!  But 
where?  There  was  no  turning  back,  there  was  no 
turning  aside.  There  was  no  passing  by.  He 
must  meet  the  prophet. 

He  alighted  from  the  mule,  and  approaching 
Elijah,  bowed  low  before  him  and  stammered,  "  Art 
thou  my  lord  Elijah  ?  " 

"  Whence  comest  and  where  goest  thou,  Aza- 
lim ?  "  said  Elijah,  taking  no  notice  of  the  other's 
greeting. 

"  I  come  from  Samaria,  and  am  now  returning 


thither,"  replied  Azalim,  who,  in  his  terror  lest  Eli- 
jah should  discover  his  errand  at  Dan,  lied  thus 
clumsily. 

"  This  is  the  straight  road  from  Dan,"  observed 
the  prophet.     "  Did  thy  business  lie  there  ?  " 

"  No,"  replied  Azalim,  taking  refuge  in  this  single 
word  of  a  direct  falsehood. 

"  What  earnest  thou  in  thy  bosom  ?  "  continued 
Elijah.  "Thy  mantle  and  thy  coat  are  wrapped 
over  it  as  though  it  were  hidden  treasure." 

"  There  is  naught,  my  lord,  save  the  wallet  that 
contains  the  money  for  my  journey.  I  carry  no 
other  treasure ! "  but  as  Azalim  spoke,  his  flesh 
quivered  and  his  voice  trembled  in  a  sickening  thrill 
of  abject  fear.  Before  his  apostasy,  truthfulness 
had  been  the  leading  characteristic  of  Azalim,  and 
he  still  lied  with  confusion. 

The  aspect  of  the  prophet  was  terrible  to  behold, 
his  voice  was  as  the  trump  of  doom,  as  he  said  : 

"  Thou  hast  lied  to  me  these  three  times.  Thy 
heart  hath  cleaved  to  the  perverse  and  rebellious 
woman.  Thy  knee  hath  bowed  to  Baal  and  thy  lips 
have  kissed  his  image.  Thou  hast  betrayed  thy 
country  and  forsaken  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  and 
he  hath  forsaken  thee.  Depart  thou  to  thy  dwell- 
ing among  the  unclean." 


2o8    H3alim :  H  IRomance  of  <^l^  5u5ea 

The  prophet  turned  away,  and  Azalim  stood 
shuddering  with  a  nameless  terror.  What  had  come 
to  him?  The  blood  seemed  turned  to  fire  in 
his  veins,  his  flesh  seemed  changed  to  ice.  A 
gnawing  pain  seized  his  bones  to  their  very  marrow, 
and  all  over  his  body  crept  a  stinging,  irritating 
sensation,  as  though  he  lay  on  a  bed  of  poisonous 
and  evil  insects.  What  had  come  to  him?  His 
eye  fell  upon  the  hand  holding  the  bridle  of  his  mule. 
It  was  of  the  horrible  whiteness  of  unsullied  snow. 
Azalim  fell  straightway  to  the  ground  in  an  access 
of  unutterable  despair,  as  he  groaned :  "  O  Grod  of 
the  fathers  of  Israel,  I  am  a  leper ! " 

Yea,  a  leper !  Not  with  the  slow  beginning  of  the 
little  scab,  when  the  priest  might  be  justified  in  giv- 
ing the  sufferer  hope  of  escape,  but  a  leper  at  the 
apex  of  the  disease,  with  every  internal  org-an 
affected,  and  every  morsel  of  the  external  body 
tainted  with  its  curse.  Azalim,  the  flower  of  the 
Israelitish  youth,  was  a  loathsome  leper. 

After  a  short  interval  of  mental  agony,  he  rose 
from  the  ground,  threw  oflf  his  coat  and  mantle,  and 
cast  aside  the  bag  containing  the  document  of  the 
Danite  priests  and  the  letters  and  agreement  for 
those  of  Beersheba.  With  naught  belonging  to  him 
save  his  tunic  and  shoes,  he  rushed  from  the  vine- 


Hpostasg  *«>9 

yards  whither  he  knew  not,  uttering  from  time  to 
time  the  dismal  cry :  "  Unclean,  Unclean !  " 

Not  long  after  he  disappeared,  two  men,  half 
beggars,  half  thieves,  arrived  at  the  spot.  They 
rushed  upon  the  discarded  garments,  and  soon  dis- 
covered the  money  concealed  in  the  coat;  in  the  di- 
viding of  this,  they  quarrelled  so  angrily  that  the 
dispute  came  to  blows,  then  to  bloodshed,  and  ended 
in  the  weaker  being  slain.  The  victor  gathered 
the  coins,  wrapped  the  corpse  in  the  mantle,  tied 
the  bag  and  its  papers  around  its  neck,  and  made  off 
without  detection. 

Gehanan  and  his  band  traced  Azalim  into  the  vine- 
yard, but  like  him  lost  themselves  among  the  narrow 
walled  paths  and  high  fences,  and  it  was  night  ere 
they  reached  the  place  where  the  murdered  man 
lay.  His  face,  as  well  as  form,  had  been  so  battered 
in  the  struggle  that  in  the  uncertain  light  the  eunuch 
did  not  detect  the  difference  of  appearance,  and 
recognizing  the  coat  and  mantle,  and  finding  the 
money  gone,  and  the  papers  untouched,  he  naturally 
concluded  that  the  young  Israelite  had  fallen  a  victim 
to  robbery  and  murder. 

"  Great  Baal !  "  he  cried  in  dismay.  "  This  mis- 
hap has  cut  off  our  reward  to  a  fourth ! " 

The  eunuch  bent  over  the  body,  withdrew  the 
mantle  and  coat,  still  containing  the  documents  con- 


2IO    asalim:  H  IRomancc  of  ©l&  5u&ea 

cerning  Dan  and  Beersheba,  in  order  to  give  the 
princess  proof  of  his  stoiy,  and  placing  these 
garments  on  the  mule,  returned  with  his  men,  in  all 
haste,  to  Tyre. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

GIVEN    IN    MARRIAGE 

When  Gehanan  brought  the  news  of  the  assassin- 
ation of  Azalim  to  the  Princess  Jezebel,  she  received 
it  with  a  burst  of  regret  for  the  dead  and  reproaches 
to  the  bearer  of  the  tidings,  whom  she  accused  of 
having  proved  unworthy  of  his  charge.  And  she 
gave  him  only  a  fourth  of  the  promised  reward. 

Jezebel  was  sincere  in  her  sorrow  for  the  loss  of 
her  young  husband.  It  was  her  first  love,  and  per- 
haps the  only  real  one  of  her  long  and  selfish  life. 
But  worldly  thoughts  are  great  consolers,  and  as 
time  passed,  the  proud  ambitious  princess  judged  it 
had  happened  for  the  best,  after  all,  that  this  serious 
obstacle  had  been  removed  from  her  path. 

Jezebel's  beauty  had  only  received  local  celebrity 

when  she  occupied  the  unimportant  position  of  a 

priest's  daughter,  but  now  she  received  a  far  wider 

renown.      Very    little    comeliness    suffices    for   the 

reputation   of   a   princess's   beauty.      Ethbaal   had 

not    long    ascended    the    throne    of    Tyre    and 

tii 


212    Bsalim :  H  IRomance  of  ®l^  5u&ea 

Sidon  ere  the  fame  of  Jezebel's  charms  had 
spread  over  Asia,  and  the  kings  of  the  mighty 
empires  of  Babylon  and  Assyria  sent  embassies 
to  solicit  the  hand  of  his  daughter  in  marriage. 

The  usurping  monarch's  pride  was  greatly  grat- 
ified by  these  proposals,  and,  he  communicated  them 
and  his  own  consent  to  the  princess,  who  to  his  great 
surprise  at  once  negatived  them. 

"  Father,"  she  explained,  "  as  a  wife,  and  even 
queen  to  these  mighty  monarchs,  I  should  only  be 
the  chief  of  a  troop  of  women,  for  any  one  of  whom 
his  absolute  power  could,  at  any  moment  or  for  any 
caprice,  displace  me.  I  should  be  kept  in  the  house 
of  the  women,  guarded  by  eunuchs,  and  never  per- 
mitted to  approach  my  husband  save  when  he  sum- 
moned me.  This  life  will  not  suit  me  at  all.  Present 
thy  homage  and  obligations  to  these  kings,  g^ve 
large  gifts  to  the  embassage,  and  say  that  to  thy 
great  grief  thy  daughter  is  already  betrothed." 

"  But  thou  art  not  betrothed,  daughter,"  retorted 
the  astonished  monarch. 

"What  matters  that?  "  replied  the  princess,  care- 
lessly.   "  It  is  thy  answer." 

"Art  thou  mad,  daughter?"  remonstrated  the 
king.  "  Hast  thou  forgotten  the  time  when  I  pur- 
posed thee  for  the  wife  of  a  merchant  of  Tyre, 
and  thou  readily  assented  to  my  proposal  ?  " 


(5ipen  in  /iDarriage  21$ 

"  No,  my  father,  I  have  not  forgotten  that  I  was 
then  the  obscure  daughter  of  a  priest,  and  that  now 
I  am  a  princess  of  Tyre,  the  daughter  of  its  king." 

"  A  priest ! "  repeated  Ethbaal,  displeased  at  the 
implied  slight  of  her  remark.  "  I  can  tell  thee  I  had 
more  real  power  as  a  priest  than  I  now  possess  as 
a  king,  when  I  had  expected  to  have  more." 

"  Ah,"  responded  Jezebel,  "  the  aged  tell  me 
that  nothing  does  turn  out  as  well  as  we  expect,  but 
I  mean  to  be  the  exception,  father,  and  intend  all 
things  to  be  as  I  desire." 

Ethbaal  regarded  his  daughter  as  a  man  might 
a  silly  woman  or  a  foolish  child  who  talks  nonsense 
but  is  tolerated  for  its  prettiness,  and  he  changed  the 
subject. 

"  Since  thou  scomest  to  share  the  throne  of  the 
greatest  kings  of  the  world,  and  yet  desirest  to  be 
a  queen  on  whom  doth  thy  royal  choice  fall,  daugh- 
ter ?  "  he  inquired  ironically. 

"  On  Ahab,  the  new  King  of  Israel,  He  will 
fulfill  my  conditions,  my  father,"  she  answered, 
decidedly. 

"  Ahab !  Israel !  that  small  unsettled  neighbour- 
ing kingdom,"  replied  the  king,  dubiously. 

"  Yea.  Beneath  my  government  the  country 
will  be  settled;  under  my  sway,  it  will  be  enlarged, 
my  father." 


214    Bsalim:  H  IRomance  ot  Qlt>  5ut)ea 

The  king  gazed  on  his  daughter  for  a  moment 
or  two,  not  knowing  whether  to  laugh  at  her  folly 
or  rebuke  her  boasting.  Then,  as  he  marked  her 
resolute  air,  and  recalled  instances  of  her  stubborn 
will,  he  checked  his  speech  and  made  no  answer. 

"  Thou  sayest  the  realm  is  small,  father,"  con- 
tinued the  princess.  "  That  is  one  of  its  recommen- 
dations to  me.  Better  be  a  ship  in  a  river  free  from 
the  storm,  and  great  in  the  eyes  of  the  beholder,  than 
a  ship  in  the  sea  tossed  by  the  billows,  and  insignifi- 
cant in  sight  of  all.  The  King  of  Israel  is  young 
and  needs  the  counsel  of  one  near  at  hand  to  manage 
the  affairs  of  his  kingdom." 

"  Young,"  repeated  the  astonished  king,  "  why, 
he  is  older  than  thou,  who  art  not  yet  twenty  years 
of  age,  —  late  to  be  married  I  allow,  but  a  mere 
child  as  to  the  affairs  of  state,  setting  aside  thy  sex 
as  a  woman." 

"  We  shall  see,"  retorted  the  princess,  waving 
her  hand  as  if  to  imply  the  subject  was  not  worth 
considering.  Then  she  continued,  "  King  Ahab 
is  on  his  way  to  Tyre,  father.  Wilt  thou  not  send 
an  embassage  to  welcome  and  escort  him  into  the 
city?" 

The  king's  amazement  knew  no  limits. 
"  Woman,"  he  cried,  "  art  thou  the  wooer  of  thy 
husband  as  well  as  the  future  ruler  of  his  kingdom  ?  " 


Oivcn  in  (S^attiaQC  215 

"  Certainly,"  replied  the  princess,  coolly.  "  If 
the  father  needs  instruction  to  secure  a  husband  for 
his  daughter,  the  latter  must  offer  it." 

Ethbaal,  feeling  he  was  getting  the  worse  of  the 
interview,  left  the  chamber  without  any  reply  to  this 
bold  speech. 

We  have  no  space  to  record  this  second  court- 
ship of  Jezebel ;  King  Ahab  was  dazzled  by  the  first 
sight  of  the  princess's  extraordinary  beauty,  and 
completely  captivated  by  the  second,  "  The  half  had 
not  been  told  him,"  he  said,  and  when,  acting  on 
private  instructions,  the  courtiers  informed  him  of 
the  mighty  suppliants  for  her  favour,  who  had  been 
rejected  for  the  love  of  the  young  King  of  Israel, 
Ahab's  vanity,  as  well  as  his  fancy  and  heart,  was 
touched,  and  his  subjugation  was  complete. 

Magnificent  spectacles,  royal  pageants,  splendid 
banquets,  and  pleasures  in  quick  succession  were 
held  in  honour  of  the  royal  guest,  and  his  visit  of 
many  days  was  as  one  prolonged  holiday  to  the  two 
cities. 

The  betrothal  and  wedding  of  the  King  of 
Israel  and  of  Jezebel,  princess  of  Tyre,  were 
celebrated  with  all  the  pomp,  ceremony,  and 
splendour  upon  which  the  rich  cities  of  Tyre 
and    Sidon    could    lavish    their    wealth    and    en- 


3i6    Hsalim:  B  IRomance  ot  01^  ^tt&ea 

thusiasm;  and  with  a  dower  that  far  exceeded 
the  sum  bestowed  upon  the  Asiatic  princesses,  and 
manifold  gifts  of  priceless  worth  from  the  loyal 
merchant  princes  of  the  great  maritime  ports.  So 
King  Ahab  and  Queen  Jezebel,  with  an  attending 
train  almost  rivalling  that  of  King  Solomon  when  he 
went  up  to  the  house  of  the  Lebanon,  journeyed 
at  length  to  their  capital  of  Samaria. 

As  at  her  first  honeymoon,  Jezebel  determined 
to  begin  at  once  as  she  meant  to  proceed,  and  when 
her  royal  husband  proposed  a  detour  in  the  direction 
of  Dan,  in  order  that  they  might  jointly  present 
offerings  to  Jehovah  through  the  symbolic  media- 
tion of  the  golden  calf,  the  queen  coldly  declined. 

"  Thy  gods  are  not  my  gods,"  she  said,  "  and 
I  cannot  join  in  their  worship." 

"  But,  beloved,"  urged  Ahab,  "  does  not  the 
wife  naturally  follow  the  religion  of  her  husband?  " 

"  No,"  replied  Jezebel,  boldly.  "  If  the  husband 
really  loves  his  wife,  he  will  adopt  hers." 

This  uncompromising  statement  silenced  but  did 
not  convert  Ahab,  who  politically  as  well  as  relig- 
iously clave  to  the  sin  of  the  golden  calf  which  that 
subtle  statesman  Jeroboam  had  invented  to  alienate 
Israel  from  the  feasts  and  sacrifices  of  the  Temple 
in  Jerusalem.  Neither  Israel  nor  its  kings  desired  to 
return  into  the  darkness  of  heathenism  pure  and 


Oivcn  in  /Carriage  >i7 

simple.  A  man  bom  into  Christianity  in  our  day, 
who  objected  to  its  uncompromising  light,  would  be 
very  unlikely  to  step  from  it  into  an  outer  darkness 
of  Juggernaut  or  an  African  fetish.  He  would  natu- 
rally prefer  the  twilight  shades  of  Christian  com- 
munities more  or  less  fallen  from  the  faith, 
more  or  less  corrupt.  So  it  was  with  Ahab. 
He  had  bowed  in  the  house  of  Baal,  and  joined 
in  the  religion  of  Tyre,  prompted  by  the  royal 
courtesy  of  kings  to  comply  with  the  usages  of  their 
hosts,  but  his  heart  was  with  the  garlands,  songs, 
and  dance  around  the  golden  calf.  He  preferred  to 
deity,  and  he  desired  to  pay  his  passing  homage 
speak  of,  and  to  believe  in  Jehovah  as  his  chief 
to  the  symbol  of  his  God  at  Dan,  by  a  marriage 
procession. 

But  Jezebel  had  other  views  for  him  and  for 
Israel.  She  had  resolved  that  Baal  should  be  the 
established  god  of  the  land,  simply  because  he  was 
her  god,  and  any  recognition  of  the  symbolic  calf 
must  be  checked. 

"  Ahab,  love  of  my  soul,"  she  said,  fondly : 
"  thou  hast  not  granted  me  one  favour  since  our 
marriage.  Wilt  thou  give  me  the  one  I  now  ask 
of  thee,  my  king?  " 

"  What  is  it,  my  queen  ? "  was  the  naturally 
hesitating  answer. 


2i8    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  of  ©lb  5ttt)ca 

"  Nay,  if  thou  canst  not  trust  me,  thou  dost  not 
love  me,"  she  sighed  mournfully. 

"  I  do  trust  and  I  do  love  thee,"  replied  the  king, 
"  yet  I  would  fain  know !  " 

"  Then  thou  refusest  me  this  first  small  favour? 
I  would  I  were  back  in  my  father's  palace  once 
more,"  she  sighed. 

It  ended  in  an  unconditional  promise  to  grant 
her  request,  which  was  to  give  up  his  visit  to  the 
golden  calf.  The  king  was  exceedingly  sorry,  like 
Herod  of  a  later  date,  but  Jezebel  kept  him  to  his 
pledge,  and  they  continued  their  progress  without 
turning  aside  to  Samaria. 

Ahab  from  his  own  point  of  view  had  even  more 
cause  for  regret  than  he  knew  at  the  time,  as  from 
that  day  until  his  death,  he  never  once  attended 
the  worship  of  the  golden  calf. 

The  incessant  struggle  for  the  crown,  which  had 
so  long  distracted  Israel,  was  now  happily  at  an 
end,  with  its  uncontested  possession  by  Ahab,  and 
the  popularity  which  generally  attends  a  new  mon- 
arch was  likely  to  continue  in  his  case,  as  he 
possessed  many  attractive  qualities. 

In  the  wonderful  word-painting  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  a  few  bold  strokes  convey  a  world  of 
meaning,  and  from  the  materials  there  afforded,  we 
can  easily  sketch  the  character  of  Ahab. 


Oi\>en  in  /l^arriaae  219 

In  that  single  sentence,  "  whom  Jezebel  his  wife 
stirred  up,"  the  secret  spring  of  his  actions  is  un- 
closed. Weakness,  not  wickedness,  was  the  motive 
power,  and  weakness  works  more  mischief  in  this 
world  of  ours  than  wickedness.  He  was  half-hearted 
in  the  establishment  of  Baal's  worship,  although  he 
allowed  it,  for  he  offered  no  opposition  to  the  abso- 
lute destruction  of  the  idolatrous  prophets  and  the 
public  acknowledgment  of  Jehovah.  In  the  matter 
of  Naboth,  the  king,  instead  of  using  his  despotic 
power  and  seizing  the  coveted  vineyard,  offered 
equal  and  liberal  terms  for  its  purchase,  and  when 
the  threatened  chastisement  of  the  Lord  was  sent 
him,  instead  of  hardening  his  heart  like  Pharaoh,  or 
throwing  the  letter  in  the  fire  sent  by  Jehovah  by  his 
prophet,  as  Jehoiakim  did,  he  humbled  himself  and 
fasted  and  went  softy  in  sackcloth.  This  was  the 
best  moral  side  of  his  character.  Of  the  mental  one 
we  hear  that  Ahab  builded  cities  and  raised  an  ivory 
palace,  and  was  a  horticulturist  and  a  soldier  king, 
for  he  could  ill  brook  the  encroachments  of  the  King 
of  Syria,  or  his  unjustifiable  occupation  of  Ramoth 
Gilead.  Further,  he  must  have  been  a  man  of  pol- 
ished manners  and  pleasant  disposition,  for  the 
friendly  relations  with  the  royal  family  of  Judah 
and  their  frequent  intercourse  proved  Ahab's  pos- 
session of  attractive  qualities.     One  scarcely  knows 


220  asalim ;  H  "Romance  ot  ®l^  3u&ca 

whether  to  praise  or  blame  Ahab  the  most  in  almost 
the  only  act  recorded  in  which  he  had  acted  inde- 
pendently of  Jezebel's  leading-strings. 

Black  famine  stalked  everywhere.  Hungry  chil- 
dren and  starving  parents  filled  the  air  with  their 
feeble  moans;  the  king  called  the  governor  of  his 
house  and  proposed  a  tour  to  seek  for  food.  For 
whom?  The  gaunt  men,  the  haggard  women,  the 
withered  children?  By  no  means.  To  keep  the 
horses  and  mules  alive,  that,  he  explained,  "  we  lose 
not  all  the  beasts."  Did  this  solicitude  proceed  from 
that  inordinate  love  of  animals  which,  it  is  said, 
closes  a  human  heart  to  its  fellows  ?  or  was  it  from 
the  fear  of  the  loss  of  valuable  property?  Let  us 
give  the  king  the  benefit  of  the  doubt. 

Ahab,  in  short,  was  a  man  and  a  monarch  above, 
but  not  too  much  above,  the  average  of  his  fellows 
to  be  a  popular  king.  His  subjects  willingly  sub- 
mitted to  his  sway,  and  engaged  in  warfare  when 
he  willed,  and  they  were,  as  a  whole,  too  indifferent 
to  religion  not  to  follow  the  royal  taste  in  devotion. 

To  sum  up  the  character  of  Ahab,  it  may  be  said 
he  had  the  failing  common  to  the  majority  of  hu- 
manity.    He  was  a  moral  coward. 

It  is  not  unlikely  that  this  and  other  faults  may 
have  been  owing  to  his  early  training.  His  father, 
Omri,  occupied  with  the  political  troubles  of  his 


(Biven  tn  nDarriaoe  «ai 

stormy  reign,  had  left  the  young  prince  to  the 
guidance  of  his  wives.  The  elegant  tastes  and  ac- 
complishments which,  we  gather,  belonged  to  Ahab, 
were  dearly  bought  at  the  cost  of  his  manliness ;  and 
effeminacy  and  softness  of  will  and  purpose  were 
paid  for  by  forfeited  strength. 

Ahab,  in  youth,  was  not  lacking  in  personal  come- 
liness. His  features  had  the  aquiline  regularity  of 
his  race,  and  his  figure,  of  middle  height,  was  agile 
and  well  formed ;  but  indolence  and  self-indulgence 
soon  coarsened  his  face  and  weighted  his  body  with 
flesh;  the  king  in  early  middle  age  was  heavy  and 
lymphatic,  and  inclined  to  shift  the  burden  of  gov- 
ernment and  affairs  to  the  brains  equal  to  their 
management  and  the  hands  capable  of  it,  and  those 
brains  and  hands  were  ever  in  the  possession  of 
the  queen. 

Thus  all  went  well  with  Jezebel.  The  prince  of 
the  demons  had  found  it  worth  his  while  to  keep  his 
word.  The  ivory  palace  Ahab  had  built  was  given 
for  the  occupation  of  the  queen  and  her  children, 
and  its  halls  and  gardens  of  beauty  and  delight  were 
the  wonder  and  admiration  of  Asia.  The  prophets 
of  Baal  and  the  groves  filled  the  land  and  devoured 
its  substance,  and  Jezebel  ruled  without  let  or 
hindrance  over  Israel. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


REVELATIONS 


A  YEAR  and  a  day  has  passed  since  the  prophet 
pronounced  the  awful  curse  upon  Azalim.  After  the 
victim  reaHzed  the  horror  and  hopelessness  of  the 
blow  which  had  fallen  upon  him,  he  passed  weeks 
in  the  alternation  of  fits  of  frenzy  and  despair.  The 
dreadful  disease  had  taken  possession  of  his  body 
in  its  extremest  and  most  deadly  form,  and  there 
was  not  a  spot  upon  him  which  the  tip  of  his  finger 
could  cover  that  was  not  visibly  affected,  nor  an 
internal  organ  that  was  not  a  centre  of  intolerable 
anguish. 

How  he  lived  was  a  miracle.  The  scraps  thrown 
aside  by  travellers  on  the  highway,  the  fruit  over- 
hanging the  fences  of  the  orchards  and  vineyards 
kept  life  in  him.  Suicide  is  not  a  common  Oriental 
crime;  it  was  rare  among  the  Israelites,  and  al- 
though the  unhappy  sufferer  longed  and  supplicated 
for  death,  he  never  thought  of  anticipating  its 
dread  visitation.     From   morn   to   eve,   and   even 

333 


•Revelations  223 

through  the  night,  AzaHm  wandered  aimlessly  up 
and  down,  to  and  fro,  only  resting  when,  from  sheer 
exhaustion,  he  sank  half  senseless  on  the  ground. 

Shut  out  from  the  society  of  their  fellow  men, 
the  lepers,  following  the  gregarious  instinct  of  all 
things  endowed  with  animal  life,  formed  a  com- 
munity among  themselves,  but  in  the  utter  wretched- 
ness of  Azalim's  broken  heart,  he  repulsed  the 
advances  to  intercourse  from  the  other  sufferers, 
and  lived  apart  in  his  isolated  agony.  He  uttered 
the  doleful  warning  cry,  "  Unclean !  Unclean ! " 
whenever  he  came  in  sight  of  any  living  being, 
otherwise  no  syllable  of  speech  issued  from  the 
dumb  anguish  in  which  his  soul  was  steeped  and 
his  voice  stifled. 

For  months  this  state  of  things  continued,  then 
there  came  a  lull,  a  rest  to  the  sufferer.  His  disease 
was  not  mitigated,  nor  had  hope  come  to  him,  and 
yet  a  something  akin  to  peace  hovered  over  him. 
The  fact  was,  that  time  and  usage  had  blunted  the 
nerves  of  suffering.  As  long  as  the  soul  dwells  in 
the  heavy,  fleshly  tabernacle  of  living  mortality,  the 
duration  of  its  torture  is  limited,  and  as  long  as  the 
body  can  suffer  without  death,  time  will  bring  en- 
durance, and  so  it  came  to  pass  with  Azalim. 

He  had  wandered  southward  to  the  deserts,  and 
was  not  far  from  the  highroad  that  bordered  that 


224    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  ot  ®lt>  S\xbca 

smaller  one  which  was  a  selected  haunt  of  the  lepers, 
and  adjoined  the  home  of  his  once  betrothed  Zillah. 
He  had  travelled  aimlessly  during  the  night,  and, 
well-nigh  worn  out  with  fatigue,  was  about  to  lie 
down,  when  the  dismal  cry  of  the  leper  met  his  ear, 
and  caused  him  to  start  suddenly,  and  then  hasten 
his  steps  toward  the  spot  from  whence  it  proceeded. 

Azalim  did  not  recognize  the  man  who  had 
uttered  the  cry,  nor  did  the  other  know  him.  In 
proportion  to  the  blindness  of  their  eyes,  however, 
a  sharpening  of  the  ears  seemed  given,  and  "  Issa- 
char !  "  "  Azalim !  "  were  the  names  almost  in- 
stantly exchanged  as  they  met. 

"  Thou,  then,  art  one  of  us,  Azalim ! "  was  the 
greeting  of  Issachar. 

"  And  thou  ?  "    was  the  answer. 

"  Ay.  Soon  after  my  return  to  Gilead  the  spot  ap- 
peared. I  crossed  the  Jordan,  showed  myself  to  a 
priest  of  Jehovah,  was  pronounced  unclean,  and  am 
banished  to  this  death  in  life.  How  is  it  I  have 
never  met  thee?  and  how  didst  thou  escape  from 
Syria?" 

"  The  Lord  God  hath  smitten  me,  and  the  story  is 
too  long  to  tell,"  replied  Azalim,  to  whom  a  strange 
pleasure,  unknown  for  so  many  months,  had  come, 
the  pleasure  of  intercourse  with  other  men,  and  his 
spirits  insensibly  rose  as  he  conversed  with  this  ac- 


IRevelations  225 

quaintance  of  his  earlier  days,  after  twelve  months 
of  solitude  and  self-banishment. 

The  two  were  standing  on  a  rocky  ascent  in  the 
smaller  desert  overlooking  the  highroad  which 
skirted  it.  A  long  procession  with  banners  and 
cymbals  and  loud  cries  passed  by,  and  shouts  of 
"  Baal  save  the  king !  "  "  Long  live  the  king !  "  and 
"  May  his  son  live  to  reign  in  his  father's  stead ! " 
reached  their  ears. 

"  What  means  this  uproar?  "  inquired  Azalim, 
with  a  languid  interest. 

"Dost  thou  not  know?  Hast  thou  not  heard," 
said  Issachar,  "  that  a  son  is  born  to  the  king  and 
queen,  and  so  the  land  rejoices  ?  " 

"  The  king  and  queen  ? "  repeated  Azalim, 
dreamily.  In  his  long  mental  and  bodily  agony, 
the  past,  if  not  swept  from  his  memory,  was  clouded 
in  it. 

"  Yea,  Ahab  and  Jezebel.  Surely  thou  must  re- 
member that  our  young  king  wedded  the  daughter 
of  the  King  of  Sidon,  and,  by  the  golden  calf,  now 
I  recollect  the  queen,  then  the  high  priest's  daughter, 
chose  thee  to  lean  on  when  thou  wert  a  doorkeeper 
in  the  house  of  Rimmon." 

Azalim's  head  swam  and  his  steps  staggered  as 
though  Issachar  had  dealt  him  a  blow,  but  recover- 


226    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  ot  ©ID  JuDea 

ing  with  an  effort,  he  inquired :  **  When  did  the 
royal  marriage  take  place?" 

"  When  ?  At  least  a  year  ago,  and  we  lepers  can 
be  free  of  speech,  —  for  the  law,  like  all  other 
things,  leaves  us  alone,  —  so  I  dare  tell  thee  that  the 
queen  is  the  king,  and  the  wife  the  husband,  the 
woman  the  man,  on  our  throne.  But  thou  needest 
food  and  rest,  man !  "  he  said,  noticing  the  swaying 
figure  of  his  companion.  "  Sit  down  under  the 
shadow  of  this  rock  and  I  will  share  my  portion 
with  thee." 

Issachar  gave  Azalim  food  and  water,  and  went 
his  way,  leaving  his  friend  to  reflect  alone  upon  his 
tidings. 

Jezebel,  his  wife,  had  married  the  King  of  Israel 
almost  immediately  upon  his  departure  from  Dan. 
The  treacherous  woman,  then,  had  plotted  this,  and 
sent  him  away  to  his  doom.  She  was  the  Queen 
of  Israel,  and  he  — 

This  unexpected  and  painful  tidings,  instead  of 
crushing  Azalim,  roused  him,  even  imparted  a 
strength  and  energy  to  his  system  which  he  had 
lost  from  the  moment  the  leprosy  had  fallen  upon 
him.  A  sharp,  deep  indignation  possessed  his 
spirit.  This  woman,  he  believed,  had  destined  him 
to  destruction.    He  would  live,  if  only  to  thwart  her 


IRepelations  227 

schemes.  He  ate  and  drank,  and  then  lay  down 
and  slept. 

He  was  awakened  by  the  sound  of  a  bell  pealing 
as  though  in  summons.  He  rose,  and,  looking 
around,  observed  on  the  slope  of  a  hill  by  the  side 
of  the  highway  a  high  tower  attached  to  a  white 
house,  surrounded  by  gardens  and  vineyards,  from 
which  the  bell  was  pealing.  On  turning  to  the 
desert  side,  he  perceived  a  number  of  figures  ap- 
proaching the  northern  rocks,  which  sheltered  them 
from  the  fierce  sun  and  hurricanes  of  wind  and 
sand  which  passed  over  the  plain.  He  saw  at  once 
that  they  were  lepers,  for  their  only  garments  were 
short  breeches,  leaving  their  bodies  and  limbs  bare, 
partly  to  avoid  the  irritation  caused  by  the  friction 
of  clothes,  and  partly  to  afford  as  little  surface  as 
possible  for  the  contagion  of  their  disease.  Azalim 
hastened  to  join  the  throng,  and  questioned  them  as 
to  their  destination. 

"  Welcome  to  our  stricken  band,  thou  afflicted 
one ! "  was  the  answer  of  the  nearest.  "  Join  us. 
Thou  hast  missed  thy  notice,  but  there  is  always 
enough  and  to  spare  at  the  table  of  the  handmaids 
of  the  lepers !  " 

Without  further  parley,  Azalim  followed  the  rest 
of  the  party  to  the  tables  covered  with  food  such  as 
his  eyes  had  not  rested  upon  for  the  long  year  passed. 


228    Hsalim:  H  IRomance  ot  ®lt>  ^udea 

Bread,  fruit,  dried  and  baked  meats  of  kid  and 
lambs,  with  cheeses  and  the  vegetable  salads  that 
could  be  eaten  uncooked,  were  spread  in  abundance 
upon  large  leaves,  and  water  was  plentifully  pro- 
vided in  jars.  Upon  a  high  board  were  written 
these  words: 

"  Give  glory  to  the  God  of  Israel  and  bless  the 
handmaids  of  the  lepers !  " 

Each  man  stood  in  his  place  whilst  the  eldest 
gave  a  few  words  of  thanks  and  blessing,  and  then 
they  commenced  their  feast.  There  was  enough  and 
to  spare  for  Azalim,  who  received  every  attention 
and  welcome  from  his  brother  sufferers. 

When  the  repast  was  finished,  the  tables  were 
cleared,  and  the  guests  —  for  such  indeed  they 
were  —  returned  to  the  shade  of  the  rocks,  and  re- 
clined upon  the  sand  collected  at  their  base.  Every 
living  being  has  his  own  little  individual  world,  and 
the  lepers  had  theirs ;  and  as  it  is  impossible  to  live 
and  be  always  miserable,  neither  topics  nor  merri- 
ment were  lacking  in  their  desert  club. 

The  great  consoler,  tobacco,  was  unknown  —  it 
goes  without  saying  —  three  thousand  years  ago, 
and  the  lepers  lacked  its  aid  to  kill  the  time,  soothe 
their  nerves,  and  supply  an  occupation  for  their 
idleness,  but  a  large  skin  of  wine  was  ready  at  hand, 
for  it  was  a  favourite  and  frequent  charity  with  the 


IRevelations  239 

public  to  leave  supplies  of  wine  near  the  haunts  of 
the  lepers,  and  under  the  brightening-  influence  of 
this  contribution,  the  talk  grew  lively  and  the  gossip 
free. 

Considering  their  isolation  from  the  world,  it  was 
surprising  how  well  acquainted  the  lepers  were  with 
its  affairs.  The  politics,  the  court,  the  state  of 
religion,  even  the  family  and  business  matters  of 
the  elders  of  their  people,  were  discussed  and  com- 
mented upon,  and  Azalim,  whose  interests  were  now 
reawakened  to  life  and  its  objects,  lay  quietly  listen- 
ing to  the  events  of  the  past  year,  and  made  bitter 
reflections  on  the  cruel  betrayal  and  desertion  of  the 
woman  he  had  so  madly  loved  and  obeyed  to  such 
fearful  cost.  Nor  was  his  indignation  lessened 
by  the  information  imparted  to  him  by  his  compan- 
ions of  the  power,  prosperity,  and  happiness  of  this 
queen  who  had  so  fatally  injured  him. 

By  and  by,  the  subject  changed,  and  one  sitting  by 
him  inquired  of  his  neighbour  if  Phanuel,  the  father 
of  their  handmaid,  the  princess,  were  likely  to  re- 
cover from  the  sickness  that  had  afflicted  him, 

A  sudden  curiosity  came  over  Azalim.  He  did 
not  listen  for  the  answer,  but  rather  eagerly  inter- 
rupted with  another  question : 

"Who  is  Phanuel?"  and  "Who  is  your  hand- 
maid, the  princess  ?  " 


230    asalim:  H  IRomancc  of  ®lt)  5ut)ea 

"  Why,"  returned  the  other,  in  an  amazed  tone, 
"  how  long  hast  thou  been  stricken,  and  where  hast 
thou  been  kept  hidden,  as  not  to  know  that  the  food 
thou  hast  this  noonday  eaten,  and  which  is  provided 
daily  without  stint  to  every  leper  who  at  dawn 
strikes  his  note  upon  the  desert  bell,  is  given  free 
to  us  for  the  love  of  the  God  of  Israel,  by  Zillah,  the 
daughter  of  Phanuel,  the  Gileadite,  who  lives  on 
the  slope  of  the  hill  yonder,  beyond  the  border  of  the 
desert." 

"  But,"  cried  Azalim,  to  whose  brow  the  blood 
rose  raging,  although  no  sign  of  it  appeared  on  the 
unnatural  white  skin,  "  Phanuel,  the  Gileadite,  was 
not  a  king,  and  his  daughter  Zillah  is  the  wife  of 
old  Isaac,  of  Gilboa.  How  can  she  be  a  princess, 
and  the  handmaid,  as  thou  callest  her,  of  the 
lepers?  " 

"  She  is  no  wife,"  answered  the  leper.  "  She 
was  betrothed  to  Azalim,  the  head  herdsman  of  her 
father,  and  the  very  day  of  their  espousals  a  Syrian 
band  seized  him  and  the  cattle  of  her  dowry  and 
carried  them  to  Damascus.  There  her  false  bride- 
groom saw  the  daughter  of  the  stranger  and 
wedded  her,  and  Zillah  —  ah,  there  were  no  lack  of 
suitors  to  fill  her  false  lover's  place,  but  she  would 
none  of  them.  She  and  a  companion  bewailed  their 
virginity  on  the  mountains,  and  then  they  offered 


IRevelationg  231 

themselves  to  the  Lord  Jehovah  through  the  media- 
tion of  his  mighty  prophet  Elijah.  Surely,  thou, 
an  Israelite,  hath  heard  of  this  man  of  God  ?  " 

"  Go  on !  "  cried  Azalim,  hoarsely. 

"  Elijah  presented  them  to  the  Lord,"  continued 
the  narrator,  "  and  offered  a  sacrifice  of  supplica- 
tion ;  and  they  say  the  fire  fell  from  heaven,  and  the 
lepers  were  given  to.  her  care.  The  prophet  calls 
these  two  holy  maidens  the  daughters  of  the  King 
of  kings,  and  she  calls  herself  the  handmaid  of  the 
lepers,  and  so  we  say  she  is  our  princess  handm — 
Why,  man,  what  ails  thee,  —  art  thou  sick  ?  " 

Azalim  had  fallen  back  upon  the  sand-bank  ap- 
parently lifeless. 

They  tended  him  with  the  care  and  tenderness  of 
a  woman  for  her  infant,  these  rough  and  stricken 
men.  At  mom  and  at  even  a  messenger  stood  be- 
neath the  bell-tower  of  Zillah's  house  and  received 
the  remedies  and  directions  which  Zillah  and  the 
widow  let  down  by  chains  on  a  metal  platform. 
This  medical  aid  was  part  of  her  mission ;  she  stud- 
ied diligently  the  disease  of  leprosy,  and  collected 
and  prepared  herbs,  potions,  and  bandages,  which,  if 
they  could  not  cure  what  was  incurable,  greatly  alle- 
viated the  suffering.  She  knew  not  why,  but  she  felt 
a  very  unusual  interest  in  this  case,  and  was  always 
at  her  post  at  the  window  of  the  bell-tower  before 


23*    Bsalim :  B  IRomance  of  ©15  Jubea 

the  messenger  arrived.  For  many  days,  Azrael,  the 
angel  of  death,  hovered  over  Azahm,  waiting  for 
his  prey.  Then  a  command  came  to  stay  his  hand, 
for  three  times  a  day  Zillah  had  gone  to  the  altar 
of  the  Lord,  where  she  had  offered  her  vows,  and, 
impelled  by  a  power  stronger  that  herself,  had 
prayed  that  this  leper's  life  might  be  spared;  and 
his  life  was  given  back  to  her  petition. 

For  weeks  the  poor  sufferer  could  not  even  turn 
upon  his  desert  couch  of  sand,  and  but  for  the  cor- 
dials and  medicines  from  Zillah,  and  the  tending 
of  his  brother  lepers,  would  never  have  risen  from  it. 
The  wild  babblings  of  his  fever  had  not  revealed 
his  identity,  nor  did  he,  when  reason  returned, 
give  any  intelligence  which  could  lead  to  its  dis- 
covery. He  communed  with  his  own  thoughts,  and 
made  no  confidant.  The  hand  of  God  was  heavy 
upon  him.  In  judgment  it  had  been  sent,  and,  con- 
tradictory as  it  may  sound,  in  mercy  it  was  not  re- 
moved. Blow  upon  blow,  stroke  upon  stroke,  blast 
upon  blast  must  fall  upon  the  human  heart  ere  the 
living  waters  flow  forth.  Such  is  the  divine  disci- 
pline, and,  as  for  the  present,  Azalim's  nature  was 
hardening  under  it,  the  time  for  the  removal  of  the 
chastening  hand  was  not  yet  come. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


THE    CRECHE 


AzRAEL,  the  death  angel,  had  unfolded  his  wings 
and  no  longer  hovered  over  the  head  of  Azalim,  but 
it  seemed  as  though  he  had  taken  the  desire  of  life 
with  him,  for  the  sufferer  still  lay  without  vitality  or 
apparent  progress  toward  recovery.  At  length  a 
slight  reaction  occurred. 

He  had  turned  away  from  a  strengthening 
draught  a  comrade  offered. 

"  This  is  ungrateful,"  remarked  the  latter,  "  Our 
princess's  handmaiden  prepared  it  with  her  own 
hands,  and  never  fails  to  ask  of  thy  health  morn  and 
eve." 

"  Does  she  ask  for  —  Does  she  care  for  me, 
then  ?  "  inquired  Azalim,  with  an  awakening  inter- 
est, and  fixing  his  eyes  eagerly  on  the  speaker. 

"  Yea.  From  the  hour  we  went  to  her  for  help, 
she  took  a  strange  interest  in  thee,  and  is  ever  ask- 
ing if  we  have  discovered  thy  name  and  kindred." 

Azalim,  without  another  word,  took  the  cup  from 
233 


234    Haalim :  a  IRomance  ot  ®l^  5u&ea 

the  other's  hand,  and  drank  the  contents ;  from  that 
time  he  cared  for  his  health,  and,  becoming  a  docile 
patient,  began  to  progress  rapidly. 

A  strong  impulse  moved  him  to  see  again  the  face 
of  her  whom  he  thought  had  deserted  him,  but 
whom  he  now  knew  he  had  deeply  —  although  unin- 
tentionally—  wronged,  and  one  early  morn  he  felt 
sufficiently  well  to  start  by  himself  for  the  store- 
house on  the  highroad. 

There  was  a  rough  shed  at  the  side  of  the  building 
inside  which,  in  a  rainy  season,  the  asses  stood  to 
be  laden,  and  here  Azalim  took  shelter,  thrusting 
the  door  ajar  so  as  to  command  the  view  of  all  that 
went  on  outside. 

He  had  not  long  to  wait.  The  bright  colour- 
ing that  announced  day  had  not  faded  from  the  sky, 
ere  a  little  cavalcade  could  be  seen  descending  the 
hill  from  the  white  house,  and  approaching  the  store- 
room. Half  a  dozen  strong  mules  and  asses  with 
their  drivers,  two  women  and  a  deaf  and  dumb  lad 
mounted  on  small  mountain  ponies,  soon  reached  the 
place,  and  immediately  began  the  business  of  trans- 
ferring the  contents  of  the  building  to  the  panniers 
and  backs  of  the  animals. 

The  knees  of  Azalim  trembled  under  him.  His 
heart  beat  with  struggling  pain  in  his  bosom.  The 
blood   rushed   and   then   stopped   suddenly   in   his 


Ube  Crccbe  23s 

veins,  and  a  cold  sweat  broke  out  over  his  body  as 
the  foremost  woman  dismounted  and  opened  the 
door  of  the  storehouse. 

It  was  Zilllah!  Yet,  was  it  Zillah?  Was  it  the 
maiden  of  his  boyish  fancy  —  Zillah,  the  first  love 
of  his  youth?  Was  this  the  damsel  of  whom  he 
thought  all  the  day,  as  he  galloped  after  his  cattle 
on  the  plains  or  among  the  hills,  and  met  at  the  wells 
in  the  evening  to  express  with  jest  and  caress  the 
warm  love  he  felt  for  her.  Was  this  Zillah  ?  Yea  — 
No—     Was  it  Zillah? 

Zillah  had  been  the  fairest  maiden  in  Gilead,  — 
the  loveliest  bud  in  the  garden  of  womanhood,  but 
she  had  been  only  a  maiden,  only  a  bud,  full  of 
promise,  but  with  nothing  then  of  the  perfection 
of  the  blossom,  the  maturity  of  the  woman. 
Scarcely  three  years  had  passed,  and  lo!  the  trans- 
formation had  been  effected  as  by  a  magic  wand. 

Yes,  it  was  Zillah.  It  was  Zillah,  but  —  there 
was  a  change.  Sweet  and  merry  and  attractive  she 
was,  but  not  like  this,  and  as  Azalim  regarded  his 
lost  love  he  marvelled  at  the  change,  the  marvellous 
development.  There  was  an  inexpressible  sweet- 
ness in  her  face  certainly,  but  no  weakness  on  the 
firm,  well-formed  mouth,  and  it  would  have  been 
a  bold  nature  who  could  trample  on  a  woman  at 
once  so  decided  and  so  gentle.     She  had  gained  in 


336    Hsalim :  H  iRomance  ot  ^l^  ^u^ea 

height,  had  matured  to  an  almost  perfect  beauty, 
and  AzaHm  feh  as  if  his  love  for  the  woman  had 
changed  into  a  reverence  for  an  angel. 

Yet  how  he  loved  her  still.  How  the  old  passion 
stirred  and  revived  within  him.  How  he  felt  as 
though  the  purification  of  his  love  would  even  cleanse 
the  leprosy  of  his  body.  The  impure  lust,  as  he 
now  thought  it,  with  which  Jezebel  had  ensnared  him 
grew  as  loathsome  to  him  as  his  disease.  "  Oh, 
God  of  our  fathers,"  he  groaned  in  his  agony  — 
"  Even  thou  canst  not  recall  the  past  1 " 

He  continued  to  watch  her,  his  soul  shining 
through  his  haggard  eyes,  every  nerve  in  his  quiver- 
ing body  strained  to  its  utmost  tension.  Her  beauty 
awed  him.  It  was  so  expressive,  so  exquisitely  pure 
and  lovable,  it  filled  him  with  light  and  love  and 
strange  unearthly  pleasure.  She  was  dressed  in 
white.  Her  dark  brown  hair  was  fastened  with  a 
kind  of  snood,  from  off  her  face,  and  fell  in  soft 
waving  tresses  to  her  waist,  after  the  mode  of  un- 
married women.  The  natural  merriment  of  her 
character  came  out  frequently  with  her  companion, 
a  comely,  attractive  maiden,  although  of  a  mould 
inferior  in  all  respects  to  her  friend. 

The  storehouse  was  cleared,  and  its  contents 
placed  upon  the  beasts,  and,  all  unconscious  of  the 


XTbe  Crecbe  237 

eyes  that  had  been  watching  her,  Zillah  and  her  at- 
tendants returned  to  their  homes. 

Overwhelmed  with  the  excitement  and  emotion 
of  the  scene  he  had  witnessed,  AzaHm  directed  his 
steps  to  his  desert  resting-place,  and,  leaning  his 
elbows  on  his  knees  and  his  head  upon  his  hands, 
he  thought  over  his  wrecked  past  life  and  hopeless 
future,  and  so  he  remained  in  dull  despair,  until  the 
first  stroke  of  the  desert  bell  warned  him  to  add  his 
toll  to  the  number.  After  the  noonday  meal,  the 
usual  friendly  chat  followed,  and  then  during  the 
afternoon  heat  each  chose  a  sand  couch  for  his 
siesta. 

During  this  repose,  Azalim  had  troubled  dreams 
of  his  Syrian  life,  and  of  the  neglected  infant  of  his 
secret  marriage.  The  impression  was  strong  enough 
to  remain  upon  his  waking  thoughts,  and  his  con- 
science sharply  smote  him  with  shame  and  remorse 
at  his  forgetfulness  of  the  child  he  had,  as  he  be- 
lieved, so  deeply  loved. 

"Yet,  what  can  I  do?"  he  asked  himself.  "I 
dare  not  even  approach  her,  far  less  take  any  steps 
to  remove  her  from  Syria,  or  place  her  in  Israel. 
What  can  I  do?" 

Yet  he  could  not  banish  the  thought  of  rescuing 
the  child,  for  his  strong  love  for  it  was  returning 
and  warming  his  heart.  At  last  the  thought  occurred 


338    Hsalim :  H  'Romance  ot  01&  5udea 

to  him  to  cast  the  child  into  Zillah's  storehouse ;  and 
throw  it  upon  the  compassion  and  love  of  his  once 
betrothed  wife. 

He  was  lying  upon  his  sand-couch  under  the  rock, 
with  the  bright  stars  of  the  Eastern  sky  shining 
above  him,  when  this  inspiration  came.  Without 
loss  of  time  he  rose,  buckled  the  wallet  that  con- 
tained his  knife  and  drinking-cup,  and  was  also  a 
receptacle  for  food,  and,  seizing  the  stout  staff  that 
served  to  help  his  way  and  be  a  defence  against 
man  and  beast,  he  started  at  once  on  his  journey, 
striking  to  the  northeast  toward  the  Lebanon,  and 
stopping  on  his  way  for  rest  only  when  literally 
spent  with  fatigue. 

His  soul  was  troubled  as  to  the  fate  of  the  child. 
He  knew  that  Jezebel  had  grown  indifferent  to  it 
the  first  month  or  two  after  its  birth,  and  therefore 
was  not  likely  to  have  troubled  herself  about  its 
maintenance ;  and  the  peasant,  to  whom  it  had  been 
given  to  nurse,  was  poor,  and  could  ill  afford  to  keep 
it  without  payment.  All  these  reflections  agitated 
him  and  quickened  his  progress. 

It  was  in  the  afternoon  when  he  reached  the  vil- 
lage where  little  Astarte  had  been  put  to  nurse. 
The  door  of  the  house  was  half-open,  and  Azalim 
entered,  to  find  it  empty,  although  there  were  signs 
of  late  occupation  in  the  small  sitting-room.    Sud- 


Ubc  Cr^cbc  239 

denly  he  recollected  his  leprosy,  and  hastily  left 
the  place  and  hastened  down  the  village  street, — 
now  deserted  from  the  heat  of  the  day,  —  toward 
the  fields  where  the  women,  as  well  as  the  men, 
worked.  When  he  came  in  view  of  these,  his  keen, 
quick  sight  recognized  the  woman  he  sought,  in  a 
portion  of  a  brick-field,  conversing,  or  rather  quar- 
relling with  a  man  whom  he  also  remembered  as 
her  husband,  for  their  voices,  raised  loud  in  anger, 
reached  his  ears.  To  his  great  joy  he  saw  that  she 
had  a  child  wrapped  on  her  back,  of  about  the  age  of 
his  little  daughter. 

His  unthinking  impulse  was  to  hail  them.  Fcw- 
tunately  he  remembered  in  time  that  he  was  a  leper, 
so,  stealing  behind  the  fences,  he  reached  the  one 
close  to  the  couple,  and,  crouching  behind  it,  listened 
to  their  dispute. 

It  was  about  the  child  the  woman  held  behind  her. 
The  man  violently  reproached  her  with  the  burden 
it  was  to  them,  and  for  the  love  and  attention  she 
bestowed  upon  it.  He  declared  that  he  had  had 
enough  of  other  men's  children,  and  that  neither 
he  nor  she  should  leave  the  field  until  she  had 
thrown  the  young  beggar  behind  the  hedge,  never 
to  enter  their  door  again. 

The  wife  refused;  their  words  grew  fiercer,  and 
at  last,  so  great  was  the  provocation  on  both  sides. 


24©    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  ot  (S>1&  ^ut)ca 

the  husband  raised  his  staff  and  showered  such 
blows  upon  the  woman  and  child,  that  perforce  she 
yielded,  and  with  loud  cries  and  reproaches  flung 
the  little  creature  over  the  fence,  as  he  had  insisted. 

The  baby  fell  at  the  feet  of  her  father. 

Azalim  had  forsaken  the  God  of  Israel,  nay,  hie 
had  taken  Baal  for  his  God,  and  when  the  dire  chas- 
tisement of  leprosy  had  fallen  upon  him,  instead  of 
humbling  his  heart,  he  hardened  it  under  the  strokes 
of  the  divine  hammer.  But  now,  when,  as  by  a 
series  of  coincidences,  which  ended,  as  it  were,  in 
a  special  message,  if  not  a  miracle,  his  little  daugh- 
ter was  thus  given  back  to  him,  the  mercy  melted 
where  the  blow  hardened,  and,  for  the  first  time 
since  Jezebel's  mocking  laugh  in  the  temple,  he  fell 
on  his  knees,  confessed  his  sin  to,  and  glorified  and 
thanked  the  Lord  God  of  his  fathers. 

He  dared  not  touch  the  child,  lest  he  should  infect 
her.  Looking  around  in  perplexity,  he  perceived  a 
large,  dried  sheepskin,  which  had  been  left  by  the 
labourers ;  he  rolled  the  half -stunned  baby  in  it,  tied 
it  around  her,  leaving  a  space  over  its  face,  and,  care- 
fully averting  it  from  contact  with  his  breath,  he 
made  all  haste  to  quit  the  vicinity. 

As  he  went,  another  difficulty  arose.  To  travel 
afoot  with  the  child  would  take  many  days,  and 
necessitate  food  and  shelter.     Then,  again,  help 


Zbc  Ctecbe  341 

came.  He  was  passing  behind  the  house  of  the  rich 
man  of  the  village,  and  at  the  stable  door  a  strong, 
white  ass,  of  the  swiftest,  largest  breed,  was  stand- 
ing, ready  saddled  and  bridled,  with  a  large  travel- 
ling mantle  thrown  over  it.  In  every  age,  all  is  fair 
in  war  as  in  love,  and,  as  Syria  and  Israel  were 
enemies,  Azalim  made  no  scruple  of  annexing  the 
ass  and  mantle  as  lawful  spoil.  The  Damascenes 
had  robbed  him  of  his  cattle ;  he  had  a  right,  in  re- 
turn, to  this  ass  of  Lebanon.  With  an  agility  of 
which  his  leprosy  had  not  deprived  him,  Azalim 
sprang  into  the  saddle  of  the  waiting  steed.  No 
one  was  at  hand,  none  witnessed  the  appropriation, 
and  no  wild  ass  of  the  wilderness  sped  away  more 
swiftly  than  did  the  captured  ass,  bearing  the 
rescued  child  and  the  rejoicing  father. 

Without  let  or  hindrance,  the  trio  reached  the 
lepers'  desert,  and  here  the  brotherhood  gave  him 
food,  with  which  he  and  his  child  had  been  but  spar- 
ingly supplied.  Azalim  lay  and  rested  in  a  sheltered 
rock  valley  until  the  earliest  dawn  of  day,  then  car- 
ried his  child  to  the  storehouse  of  the  princess's  hand- 
maiden. Unwrapping  the  sheepskin,  he  slid  his 
little  daughter  through  the  side  trap,  by  which  the 
offerings  to  the  lepers  were  sent  by  the  pious  hearts 
and  willing  hands  of  pitying  charity,  and,  retreating 


34>    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  ot  QU>  ^u^ea 

into  the  shed,  watched,  with  beating  pulses,  through 
the  chink  of  the  sHghtly-opened  door. 

He  had  not  long  to  wait.  He  saw  the  cavalcade 
of  mercy  start  from  the  door  of  the  white  house 
and  arrive  at  the  store.  Zillah  dismounted,  and 
placed  the  key  in  the  lock  of  the  door.  He  had  won- 
dered at  the  silence  of  the  child,  but  the  fact  was 
that  the  little  creature  had  seen  by  the  light,  which 
came  through  the  bars,  the  cakes  and  fruit  which 
were  heaped  upon  the  grating,  and  was  quietly  occu- 
pied in  feasting  upon  them.  The  cry  of  surprise 
with  which  Zillah  threw  open  the  door  was 
answered  by  a  shriek  of  alarm  from  the  baby,  at 
sight  of  a  stranger. 

"Anah,  Anah!  Come  here!  Look,  there  is  a 
little  child,  and  playing  with  the  fruit  upon  the 
grating.  How  could  it  have  got  here?  What  does 
it  mean  ?  "  cried  Zillah,  whose  excitement  seemed 
rather  unaccountable  to  the  more  phlegmatic  Anah. 

"  It  got  here  through  the  trap,  of  course,  sister," 
she  replied,  "  and  no  doubt  was  cast  through  by 
some  one  who  wanted  to  get  rid  of  it.  A  Syrian, 
too,  as  one  can  tell  by  the  texture  and  manner  of 
the  swathings,  and  covered,  poor  orphan,  with  the 
dust  and  disorder  of  a  long  journey.  Let  me  bring 
it  to  the  pool,  and  wash  its  poor  little  face  and 


Ube  (Xrecbe  243 

hands,"  she  added,  attempting  to  take  it  from  Zil- 
lah's  arms. 

"  Nay,  Anah,  it  is  no  Syrian.  It  is  one  of  our 
own  people.  Look  at  its  face.  It  is  an  Israehte. 
Ah !  "  she  continued,  with  something  Hke  a  sigh, 
"  it  seems  to  me  as  if,  even  in  these  Httle  features,  I 
see  something  famihar,  —  a  memory  of  a  face 
known  long  ago." 

"  Let  me  look  at  it,  princess,"  said  the  older  of 
the  mule  drivers,  coming  forward.  "  I  am  the 
father  of  a  troop  of  children,  as  thou  knowest,  and 
can  judge.  Ay,  thou  art  right,  my  mistress.  She 
is  a  daughter  of  Abraham,  and  if  I  mistake  not 
of  the  tribe  of  Manasseh,  of  Gileadite  parentage, 
although,"  looking  keenly  into  the  infant  face,  "  I 
don't  say  but  there  might  be  a  touch  of  the  stranger 
in  her  face;  her  mother  was  an  outlandish  woman, 
perchance." 

"  Then  I  will  be  its  mother,"  said  Zillah.  "  Wilt 
thou  take  me  for  thy  mother,  babe?  "  she  said,  look- 
ing down  on  the  child  with  a  look  of  sweet  and 
infinite  love,  that  was  perfectly  comprehended  and 
instantly  reciprocated  by  the  little  one,  who  re- 
sponded with  a  "  yea,  yea,"  in  the  Syrian  language, 
and  a  fond  cry  of  "  mother,"  for  she  was  two  years 
old,  and  very  intelligent. 


244    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  of  01^  5ut>ea 

"Did  I  not  say,  Asher,  she  was  Syrian?"  said 
Anah,   addressing  the  driver.      "  She  speaks   it." 

"  Speaking  a  tongue  does  not  make  one  a  native 
of  the  country,"  he  answered.  "  If  I  were  born  in 
a  stable,  it  would  not  make  me  a  horse." 

"  No,  I  suppose  not,"  responded  Zillah.  "  The 
little  one  can  speak,  so  perhaps  it  can  tell  us  its  name, 
and  that  may  be  a  help  to  its  origin.  What  do  they 
call  thee,  thou  little  rosebud  of  Sharon  ?  "  smiling 
on  the  child. 

"  Tarte,"  returned  the  baby. 

"  That  does  not  help  us,"  said  Zillah.  "  Well,  we 
must  not  waste  our  time.  Anah,  wilt  thou  attend 
to  this  lamb,  whom  the  Lord  Jehovah  hath  sent  us, 
whilst  I  arrange  the  provisions  ?  " 

Anah,  who  was  a  precise,  methodical  person, 
was  scandalized  at  the  tumbled,  soiled  appearance 
of  the  foundling,  and,  carrying  it  to  a  pool  at  a  little 
distance,  proceeded  to  wash  the  dirt  from  its  face 
and  hands. 

A  bath,  administered  by  a  kind  and  skilful  hand, 
gives  pleasure  to  the  childish  temperament,  but  par- 
tial ablution  is  its  abhorrence,  and  to  wash  its  hands 
and  face  at  irregular  periods  is  regarded  by  it  as 
an  outrage  to  its  body  and  an  insult  to  its  feelings. 
The  screams  of  the  little  Astarte,  under  Anah's 
treatment,  brought  the  entire  party  to  the  spot,  and 


XTbe  Crecbc  24s 

caused  the  first  ungentle  words  that  Zillah  had  ever 
given  her  companion. 

"  O  sister !  sister !  How  canst  thou  dare  be 
unkind  to  the  fatherless  orphan  of  the  Most  High  ?  " 

"  See  what  my  unkindness  hath  produced,  and 
hold  thy  peace,  sister,"  retorted  Anah,  holding  the 
little  one,  now  pacified  and  smiling,  toward  Zillah, 
who,  astonished  at  the  surpassing  infantine  loveli- 
ness, from  which  the  mask  of  the  soil  had  been  re- 
moved, held  her  peace,  and  stood  lost  in  admiration, 
gazing  ufKDn  the  child. 

"  By  the  rod  of  Moses,"  muttered  Asher,  "  I 
thought  my  Naomi  was  the  fairest  little  maid  on  this 
side  Jordan ;  what  will  her  mother  say  to  this  one  ?  " 

The  superb  beauty  of  both  her  parents  was  surely 
reproduced  in  miniature  in  this  little  Astarte,  who, 
standing  on  the  threshold  of  childhood,  yet  retained 
a  certain  charm  of  infancy,  which  lingered  around 
the  lovely  little  vision  as  though  loth  to  depart. 

What  was  it  that  shot  a  pang  of  pain  through  the 
heart  of  Zillah,  as  her  eyes  drank  in  the  loveliness 
of  this  little  one?  What  meant  the  tear  that  trem- 
bled on  her  eyelashes,  the  sad  sigh  half -stifled  in 
her  bosom  ?  Was  it  some  unconscious  affinity  with 
that  unfaithful  lover,  who  now,  in  silent  agony, 
stood  a  miserable  leper  in  banishment?  No;  her 
unaccountable  emotion  had  nothing  to  do  with  her 


246    asaUm :  B  IRomance  of  ©l&  5u&ca 

once  affianced  husband,  but  was  caused  solely  by 
his  child.  Those  around  Zillah  were  wont  to  think, 
and  sometimes  to  say,  that  when,  in  passing  by  on 
his  visitation  to  the  schools  of  the  prophets,  the 
great  Elijah  entered  the  house  of  Zillah,  and  blessed 
her,  a  portion  of  the  prophetic  spirit  of  his  God  fell 
upon  the  holy  maiden,  and  she  felt  within  her  the 
power  to  predict  the  future  of  those  around  her. 
Now,  as  she  looked  upon  the  almost  celestial  beauty 
of  this  little  child,  she  saw  in  the  depths  of  its 
divine  eyes  the  story  of  deep  affliction  and  early 
death,  and  a  deep  pity  took  possession  of  her  being 
and  a  sweet  impulse  urged  her  to  take  the  baby  to 
her  heart,  and  mother  its  helplessness,  while  yet  the 
evil  days  were  afar  off. 

When  the  work  was  finished,  she  directed  that  a 
pannier  should  be  left  empty  on  the  quietest  mule 
for  the  child,  and  that  the  party  should  move  on, 
and  leave  her  to  follow. 

When  they  had  gone  on  their  way,  she  took  the 
little  Astarte  on  her  lap,  and  talked  and  sang  to  it 
until  she  entirely  won  its  childish  heart.  Then, 
tenderly  placing  it  in  the  pannier,  she  drove  home- 
wards, and  Azalim  watched  them  until  he  saw  them 
arrive  at  the  white  house,  —  his  daughter's  future 
home. 

Several  times  a  mad  desire  came  over  the  un- 


Ube  Cr^cbc  247 

happy  father  to  emerge  from  his  hiding-place,  throw 
himself  on  the  ground  before  Zillah,  and  confess 
all.  Then  the  remembrance  of  his  loathsomeness, 
and  the  unsupportable  shame  of  his  treachery  and 
infidelity,  restrained  him. 

The  joy  with  which  he  witnessed  the  success  of 
his  scheme  for  the  adoption  was  chastened  and 
mixed  with  the  pain  of  reflection  on  what  might 
have  been.  When,  at  last,  he  left  the  shed,  carrying 
with  him  the  intolerable  torture  of  his  body  and 
mind,  he  alternated  the  melancholy  warning  cry  of 
the  leper,  with  the  repetition  of  one  word,  —  "  Lost ! 
Lost!  Lost!" 

And  so  the  years  passed  by :  Jezebel  in  her  ivory 
palace ;  Azalim,  the  outcast  leper  of  the  desert.  The 
Lord,  God  of  one,  the  master,  prince  of  the  other; 
both  knew  the  end,  from  the  beginning  of  these 
two  lives,  and  each  monarch  led  his  son  and  his 
subject  by  the  paths  leading  to  their  inevitable  ends. 
It  was  the  enaction  of  the  parable  of  Dives  and 
Lazarus,  divinely  spoken  a  thousand  years  after- 
ward. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

A    BALCONY    SCENE 

From  the  hour  that  Azalim  saw  his  lost  love  and 
his  rescued  child  enter  the  door  of  the  white  house, 
a  restless,  overwhelming  desire  possessed  him  to  see 
and  speak  once  more  to  Zillah,  to  claim  her  pity, 
obtain  her  forgiveness,  and  to  renew  the  protests 
and  vows  of  his  love,  which  had  returned  to  him  in 
all  the  freshness  of  his  youth,  with  the  added 
strength  of  a  man's  maturity.  The  low,  fierce  pas- 
sion of  his  senses,  the  mental  subjection  and  per- 
version of  soul  he  had  yielded  to  Jezebel,  had  passed 
away  in  his  indignation  at  the  discovery  of  her 
baseness,  and  the  whole  allegiance  of  his  being 
returned  to  Zillah,  when  he  heard  the  story  of  her 
constancy,  and  remembered  his  own  desertion  and 
unfaithfulness. 

He  learned  from  his  leper  companions,  that  the 

princess,  as  they  delighted  to  call  her,  often  came 

out  upon  the  latticed  balcony  of  her  chamber  to 

meditate,  and  study  the  language  of  the  stars,  wfien, 

248 


a  Balcony  Scene  249 

at  the  midnight  hour,  the  Eastern  sky  was  stillest 
and  clearest,  and  the  lamps  of  heaven  shone  bright- 
est. Night  after  night  he  would  haunt  the  vicinity 
of  her  house,  and  when  he  saw  the  white  figure  of 
a  woman  stand  out  clear  and  defined  from  the  dark 
shadow  of  the  house,  he  would  fall  on  his  knees  and 
cover  his  face  with  his  hands  in  utter  despair  and 
abandonment  of  grief  at  the  bitter  thought  of  all 
that  he  had  lost,  and  of  all  that,  but  for  his  own 
credulous  folly,  might  have  been. 

Oh,  that  he  could  tell  her  all,  and  pour  out  the 
heart  store  of  his  love  in  her  ears,  but  not  for  a  mo- 
ment did  he  forget  his  leprosy,  that  barrier  worse 
than  death.  He  likewise  remembered  his  promise 
to  Elijah,  that  he  would  never  put  away  the  wife  he 
had  so  rashly  chosen.  He  knew  that  Zillah  would 
never  consent  to  wed  him  as  a  second  wife,  believ- 
ing, as  many  of  the  Israelite  women  did,  that  if  the 
Creator  had  designed  polygamy  in  marriage,  he 
would  not  have  created  in  the  beginning  only  one 
man  and  one  woman.  Azalim's  eager  desire,  there- 
fore, to  confess  his  fault  to  Zillah,  obtain  her  for- 
giveness, and  profess  his  love,  was  entirely  apart 
from  any  selfish  or  future  considerations. 

One  night,  when  he  beheld  from  afar  the  beloved 
and  motionless  figure,  his  burden  of  soul  was  so 
heavy,  his  yearning  love  so  overwhelming,  and  the 


250    Bsaltm:  H  IRomance  ot  (^ID  5udea 

desire  to  express  his  long  pent-up  feelings  so  im- 
perative, that  he  drew  nearer  and  nearer  to  the 
house,  and  at  last  found  concealment  behind  some 
low  trees  and  bushes  very  near  the  railed  balcony 
on  which  Zillah  stood,  and  from  whence  he  could 
see  her  clearly,  and  hear  her  voice  distinctly. 

He  was  startled  almost  to  awe  by  the  sight  of 
Zillah.  The  moon  was  at  the  full,  the  stars  shone 
with  burning  splendour.  She  seemed  to  stand  in 
a  very  flood  of  light,  and  Azalim  thought  that  never 
had  mortal  woman  before  appeared  of  such  en- 
trancing and  divine  loveliness. 

He  could  contain  himself  no  longer ;  a  cry  came  to 
his  lips  and  rang  forth  through  the  strange  light 
and  clear,  cool  air. 

She  awoke  from  her  reverie,  and  looked  around 
with  an  alarmed  air.  A  sudden  flush,  then  as  rapid 
a  paleness,  came  over  her  face,  and  she  inquired 
in  a  low,  agitated  voice,  "  Who  calls  ? "  Who 
speaks  ?  '* 

"  It  is  I.  It  is  Azalim,"  he  answered,  in  a  voice 
as  agitated  as  hers,  and  then  he  repeated,  in  a  firmer 
tone,  "  I  am  Azalim." 

"Who?"  she  faltered.     "Ah,  no,  it  cannot  be." 

"  It  is.  I  am  Azalim,  thy  unworthy  betrothed. 
Oh,  Zillah,  send  me  not  away.  Hear  me,  I  pray 
thee." 


a  Balcons  Scene  ^s' 

She  did  not  answer.  Had  she  turned  into  marble  ? 
There  is  a  pagan  story  of  a  sculptor  so  enamoured 
of  the  form  he  had  moulded  that  he  prayed  the  gods 
to  turn  it  into  a  woman,  and  his  wish  was  granted. 
There  is  a  fact  of  another  transformation  of  a  woman 
into  a  pillar  of  salt,  and  as  Azalim  regarded  the 
rigid  form  and  deathlike  face  of  Zillah  as  she  stood 
calm  and  unsupported  before  the  front  of  the  bal- 
cony, he  was  about  instinctively  to  leap  forth  to  her, 
when  she  placed  her  hand  upon  the  top  bar  of  the 
lattice  to  steady  herself  as  she  leaned  forward,, 
and  he  remained  concealed. 

"  If  thou  art  Azalim,"  she  said,  in  a  low,  sad 
voice,  "  come  forth,  if  thou  desirest  to  speak  with 
me. 

"  I  cannot,  I  dare  not,"  he  replied.  "  Oh,  Zillah, 
trust  and  hear  me," 

"  Speak,"  she  said. 

"  They  deceived  me  with  false  tales ;  they  saidst 
thou  wedded  Isaac  of  Gilboa,  and  then  in  anger 
and  despair  —  "    He  stopped. 

"  Thou  loved  and  wedded  another.  Ah,  Azalim, 
that  love  was  but  lightly  rooted  that  so  quickly 
blossomed  and  bloomed  again." 

"  It  was  not  thus,"  he  said,  humbly.  "  It  was 
wrath  and  despair,  not  love.  My  love  fell  away 
frcMn  her  who  usurped  thy  place,  and  returned  to 


252    Hjalim:  a  IRomance  of  ©ID  5ubea 

thee  when  I  knew  that  she  was  false  and  that  thou 
hadst  been  true  to  me." 

"  I  would  fain  believe  thee,  Azalim,"  returned 
Zillah,  softly.  "  A  woman's  heart  is  a  weak,  trust- 
ing thing,  and  I  think  the  thought  of  thy  treachery, 
my  lost  husband,  wounded  me  deeper  than  the  stroke 
that  killed  my  love.  But  come  forth,  I  entreat  thee, 
plead  thy  cause  face  to  face,  and  let  me  once  more 
behold  the  face  of  him  to  whom  alone  of  all  the 
sons  of  men  I  ever  have  or  ever  shall  give  the  love 
a  wife  should  give  her  husband." 

"  Oh,  Zillah,"  cried  Azalim,  a  wild  hope  spring- 
ing up  within  him,  "  do  I  hear  right  ?  If  events 
allow,  wouldst  thou  forgfive  the  past  and  take  me 
for  thy  husband?" 

"  Never,"  she  replied,  gravely.  "  That  hope  is 
past  for  ever.  I  am  vowed  to  the  service  of  the 
King  of  kings  and  would  not  leave  it  if  I  could." 

A  stifled  sob  came  from  Azalim;  he  could  not 
answer  her. 

"  Come  forth.  Why  hidest  thou,  my  friend  ?  " 
continued  Zillah.  "  Thou  wast  deceived  and  I  for- 
give thee  thy  desertion.  Thou  sayest  that  thou 
lovest  me  still,  and  I  tell  thee  that  my  love  for  thee 
hath  never  strayed  and  will  never  stray  to  another 
man,  although  I  cannot  again  give  it  back  to  thee 
as  thou  desirest.    Let  us  once  more  meet  face  to 


H  Balcony  Scene  «S3 

face  that  I  may  give  thee  my  forgiveness,  my  bless- 
ing, and  farewell." 

Azalim  uttered  a  cry  of  unspeakable  anguish, 
a  sound  of  such  utter  misery  and  despair  that  it 
touched  the  heart  of  Zillah,  who,  in  an  accent  of  the 
greatest  sympathy  and  anxiety,  inquired  the  cause. 

"  The  Lord  hath  smitten  me,"  he  cried,  "  I  can- 
not come  forth.    I  am  a  leper." 

Zillah  placed  her  hands  over  her  eyes;  she  felt 
as  though  she  had  received  a  mortal  wound.  She 
had  throughout  this  interchange  of  words  held 
a  firm  control  over  herself,  for  the  strong  current 
of  human  love  had  flowed  back  over  her  whole 
nature,  the  longing  to  see  once  more  the  betrothed 
lover  of  her  young  maidenhood  had  overpowered 
her.  He  had  been  deceived  and  she  was  ready  to 
forgive  him.  They  were  separated  by  his  act  and 
her  vocation,  and  she  would  not  have  it  otherwise, 
yet  she  was  human  and  a  woman,  and  felt  that  if 
again  she  could  behold  the  face  of  Azalim  and 
know  that  she  was  not  banished  from  his  heart, 
something  of  the  past  would  come  back  and  bestow 
on  her  more  content  for  the  future. 

But  Azalim  a  leper!  The  shock  was  an  arrow 
of  death.  Her  weakness  was  of  short  duration. 
Strength  was  given  and  she  was  again  herself. 

"  Come  forth,  my  friend,  my  brother,"  she  cried, 


254    asaltm :  H  IRomance  of  ©l&  5tt^ea 

leaning  over  the  balcony  toward  the  foliage  which 
concealed  the  afflicted  man.  "  God  hath  given  the 
lepers  into  my  charge.  Azalim,  my  one  love,  my 
chosen  bridegroom,  it  wanted  but  this  to  make  thee 
mine  for  evermore;  shrink  not,  I  pray  thee,  from 
the  presence  of  the  handmaid  of  the  lepers." 

The  infinite  love  and  tenderness  of  Zillah's 
tone  fell  upon  Azalim  like  dew  upon  drought.  He 
no  longer  hung  back,  no  longer  hesitated,  but,  quit- 
ting his  place  of  concealment,  came  forward  and 
stood  below  the  balcony  where  Zillah  bent  for- 
ward, awaiting  him. 

There  was  a  terrible  contrast  between  these  two 
living  beings  illuminated  by  the  silvered  light.  The 
woman's  rare  beauty  was  heightened,  spiritualized, 
glorified  by  the  singular  radiance;  the  plague- 
stricken  deformity  of  the  leper  was  exaggerated 
by  it  to  even  a  more  fearful  spectacle  than  when 
under  the  full  rays  of  a  noontide  sun;  yet  these 
two  were  once,  and  that  not  so  long  ago,  the  good- 
liest and  fairest  of  the  youth  of  Gilead,  and  now, 
incredible  as  it  seemed,  the  love  tjhey  once  felt  for 
one  another  was  intensified  and  redoubled. 

With  the  first  recognition  of  Azalim's  voice, 
when  her  name  rang  out  in  the  midnight  air,  all  the 
pent  up  and  half-stifled  passion  of  Zillah's  soul  re- 
turned, and  resentment  for  her  wrongs  changed 


H  JBalconi?  Scene  ass 

to  forgiveness,  and  wounded  pride  to  pity,  when  she 
found  he  had  been  cruelly  deceived.  The  past  came 
rushing  back  like  a  warm  south  breeze,  and  mingled 
its  sweet  retrospect  with  present  renewal  and  future 
faith.  Perchance  the  shock  of  Azalim's  confession, 
"  I  am  a  leper,"  acted  as  an  interposition  of  safety 
to  them  both,  for  it  turned  the  human  love, 
newly  revived  in  the  heart  of  Zillah,  into  a  sweet 
compassion,  which  probably  restored  the  divine  ded- 
ication that  mere  woman's  love  might  have  shat- 
tered. 

For  a  short  while,  they  stood  silently  facing  one 
another,  she  with  an  expression  of  the  most  ex- 
quisite compassion  on  her  face,  he  with  the  very 
bitterness  of  death  in  his  marred  features  and 
blighted  form,  as  he  cried : 

"  Behold  me.  A  leper,  an  outcast,  accursed  of 
God  and  men.  Ay,  look  upon  thy  once  betrothed 
husband,  thou  daughter  of  Phanuel,  and  curse  me 
to  my  face  ere  I  depart ! " 

"  I  will  bless  thee  now  and  to  the  end,  O  Azalim, 
once  dear  to  my  soul,  and  now  dearer  than  ever, 
as  the  gift  of  heaven  consecrated  for  my  service. 
The  lepers  are  mine,  and  thou  art  a  leper,  and  in 
thy  life,  and  till  death,  ay,  and  in  the  after-life, 
thou  art  mine.     Draw  near  to  me,  my  friend,  my 


2s6    asalim :  a  IRomancc  ot  ®l^  3ut)ea 

brother,  my  rightful  bridegroom,  and  take  the  bless- 
ing of  the  handmaid  of  the  lepers." 

He  obeyed,  and  came  close  beneath  the  balcony 
on  which  she  stood.  She  bent  over  it,  and  stretch- 
ing her  hands  over  his  head,  she  repeated  the  words 
of  the  blessing :  "  The  Lord  bless  thee  and  keep  thee 
and  give  thee  his  peace  now  and  for  evermore." 

Carefully  following  every  precaution  which  would 
prevent  infection,  Zillah  arranged  occasional  inter- 
views with  Azalim,  during  which  she  encouraged 
his  spirit,  suggested  hope,  and  in  every  possible 
way  strengthened  and  comforted  him.  He  con- 
fided to  her  the  parentage  of  the  child  he  had  com- 
mitted to  her  care  in  the  storehouse,  and  his  heart 
was  filled  with  grateful  happiness  when  she  assured 
him  that  he  might  from  henceforth  regard  her  as 
the  mother  of  the  little  daughter  she  loved  as  a 
mother  already,  for  its  own  sake.  His  own  interest 
and  affection  for  the  little  maiden  was  kept  alive 
by  frequently  seeing  her  in  the  vicinity  of  the  house 
of  Zillah. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 


THE    UNEXPECTED 


The  queen  sat  at  her  lattice,  in  the  ivory  palace  of 
Jezreel,  glittering  in  her  regal  garments,  with  gems 
in  her  still  luxuriant  hair,  and  paint  and  powder 
on  her  haughty  face.  The  hanging  gardens  were 
exquisite,  the  royal  city  of  Jezreel  fair,  the  smil- 
ing country  beyond  fruitful  and  blooming,  and 
Jezebel  felt  she  was  indeed  the  queen  of  all  this, 
with  the  king,  her  husband,  for  her  chief  vassal. 
Like  the  sovereign  of  Babylon,  she  said  in  her 
heart,  "  Is  not  all  this  mine  by  the  might  of  my 
power,  and  for  the  honour  of  my  majesty?  "  adding, 
in  the  swelling  pride  and  security  of  her  spirit,  the 
sense,  if  not  the  words,  of  the  woman  viewed  in 
vision  by  St.  John  the  Divine :  "  I  sit  as  a  queen  and 
am  no  widow,  and  shall  see  no  sorrow." 

Then  her  eye  fell  upon  a  different  scene,  and  a 
gentler  expression  came  into  her  serpentine  eyes; 
her  sullen  brow  relaxed,  and  a  smile  almost  of  soft- 
ness fell  upon  her  cruel  lips,  for  under  a  group  of 

«S7 


2s8    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  of  ®15  5u&ea 

palm  trees  below  the  great  central  terrace,  three 
little  children,  two  lads  and  a  maiden,  were  playing 
with  some  pets,  —  apes  and  bright-hued  peacocks 
from  the  land  of  C^hir  we  now  call  India,  and  a 
caged,  catlike  creature  of  the  rarest  long-haired  fur 
from  the  nearer  land  of  Persia.  Half  a  dozen 
attendants  servilely  obeyed  the  orders  and  caprices 
of  these  children,  who  were  the  princes  and  princess 
of  the  royal  family  of  Israel,  the  sons  and  daughter 
of  Ahab  and  Jezebel. 

She  watched  them  for  a  short  while  and  then 
retreated  into  the  chamber  behind;  throwing  her- 
self upon  a  low  divan,  she  called  her  wolf-dog 
Moloch,  who  was  crouching  in  a  comer  and  was 
still  the  recipient  of  her  familiar's  visits.  Jezebel's 
attachment  to  this  creature  was  increasingly  strong; 
she  had  gained  from  the  science  of  the  witches  a 
knowledge  of  drugs  which  continually  renewed 
its  strengfth  and  youth,  and  in  response  to  incessant 
spells  and  invocations,  she  had  obtained  a  predic- 
tion that  Moloch  should  live  not  only  as  long  as 
herself,  but  would  survive  her. 

"  Moloch,"  she  said,  in  soft,  confidential  tones,  as 
the  creature  laid  his  head  upon  her  lap  and  she 
played  with  his  long,  drooping  ears,  "  was  I  not 
wise,  and  has  it  not  been  well  that  I  rejected  the 
old  Samech's  council  to  give  up  the  rich  substance 


tCbe  "Clnexpectcb  ^59 

and  reality  of  this  present  life,  of  which  I  so  well 
know  the  value,  for  the  vapoury  phantom  of  some 
future  one  which  may  have  no  existence,  and,  in 
truth,  in  which  I  do  not  myself  believe  ?  " 

With  the  wondrous  intelligence  of  the  animal 
creation,  Moloch  answered  his  mistress  with  signs 
which  humanity  might  itself  have  expressed  by 
head  and  hand. 

Still  caressing  the  dog's  ears  and  neck,  the  queen 
fell  into  pleasant  thought  and  retrospect.  Every- 
thing had  turned  out  according  to  her  desire. 
Beelzebub  had  in  truth  been  a  good  master.  She 
would  not  grudge  him  the  payment  of  her  after- 
life, if  there  were  one.  She  was  glad  she  had  re- 
jected the  Babylonian  and  Assyrian  crowns.  "  Bet- 
ter be  the  first  of  the  dwarfs  than  the  last  of  the 
giants,  for  the  dwarf  standing  on  the  shoulder  of 
the  giant  sees  farther  than  the  giant  himself,  — 
and  the  mere  head  of  the  women  in  Babylon  and 
Nineveh  would  have  been,  in  reality,  lower  in 
power  and  in  influence  than  this  hand  of  mine  mov- 
ing the  kingly  sway  in  the  little  kingdom  of  Israel. 
My  religion  also  is  established  among  these  He- 
brews, and  has  overthrown  that  of  Jehovah,  whom 
alone  among  the  gods,  they  tell  me,  Beelzebub 
fears." 

"Ah,"  she  continued  her  reflections,  "how  well 


a6o    Hsalim :  a  IRomancc  of  0U>  5u&ca 

all  things  have  turned  out.  I  grieved  for  my  goodly 
young  Israelite  husband,  but  if  he  had  lived,  what 
an  entanglement  would  have  arisen.  Ahab  is  my 
slave,  but  slaves  sometimes  throw  off  their  yoke, 
and  the  king,  weak  as  he  is,  is  yet  strong  in  pride, 
and  would  spurn  the  wife  of  a  captive  herdsman  for 
his  queen,  and  —  "  she  added,  with  a  flush,  half  of 
anger,  half  of  apprehension,  "  I  am  not  sure,  once 
accomplished,  but  he  might  be  glad  of  his  liberty." 

A  short  pause  of  thought  and  silence,  and  then 
she  addressed  Moloch .  "  All  goes  well,  my  faith- 
ful friend,"  she  whispered.  "  There  is  no  need  to 
call  thy  namesake  to  grant  my  wishes,  for  I  have 
not  one  ungratified.  Yet,  I  have  one,  after  all,"  she 
corrected  herself.  "  Hear  it,  Moloch.  It  is  that 
I  had  a  wish  for  something  that  I  have  not !  Shall 
we  call  him,  friend?  I  do  not  need  him,  yet  thou 
shalt  decide  if  we  want  him.  Say,  lift  thy  right 
paw  if  it  be  yea.  Shall  we  call  him  ?  "  she  repeated, 
laughingly. 

Moloch  raised  his  right  paw  from  her  lap,  and 
held  it  upward. 

At  this  action  of  the  dog,  something  seemed  to 
pass  between  the  queen  and  the  light,  and  the  warm 
summer  air,  which  came  through  the  lattice,  chilled 
her  in  passing.  Jezebel's  exultant  mood  received 
an    inexplicable   check,    and   she   rose,   and   again 


trbe  tllncipectcb  »6i 

looked  out  at  the  window,  to  see  a  queen's  messen- 
ger enter  by  a  narrow  postern  gate,  through  which 
alone  private  messages  to  the  court  were  admitted. 
The  sight  of  him  caused  the  queen's  heart  to  beat 
quickly,  she  knew  not  why. 

Scarcely  had  she  resumed  her  seat,  ere  her  deaf 
and  dumb  negro  brought  her  a  despatch  marked 
"  Secret."  She  looked  at  it,  murmured  the  word 
"  Gehanan,"  and  held  it  for  a  short  while  unopened, 
and  then  laid  it  upon  a  table  by  her  side. 

There  was  surely  no  cause  for  apprehension  from 
tidings  from  the  eunuch.  It  was  true  he  was,  as 
Jezebel  supposed,  the  only  living  person  who  knew 
of  her  early  marriage,  for  Azalim  had  assured  her 
that  the  prophet  who  united  them  did  not  even 
know  her  name,  still  less  her  parentage  and  history. 
But  with  the  death  of  her  Israelite  husband,  the 
value  of  the  secret  vanished,  for  the  risk  of  reveal- 
ing it  without  proof  would  have  exposed  the  be- 
trayer to  the  extremest  danger;  and  this  peril  had 
also  been  neutralized  by  the  generosity  of  Jezebel 
to  Gehanan,  or  rather,  by  her  compliance  with  his 
threats  of  blackmail.  These,  however,  were  not 
excessive,  for  the  applicant  knew  well  the  ground 
he  stood  upon,  and  was  careful  not  to  drive  the 
queen  to  bay.  On  this  account,  therefore,  Jezebel 
had  no  reason  to  shrink,  as  she  certainly  did,  from 


262    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  ot  Ql^  5ubea 

making  herself  acquainted  with  the  contents  of  his 
missive. 

At  length  she  seized  and  opened  it. 

"  Great  queen,"  it  began,  "  thy  slave,  Gfehanan, 
prostrates  himself  in  the  dust  at  thy  feet,  which  he 
dares  not  salute,  lest,  when  thou  readest  his  evil  tid- 
ings, thou  shouldst  spurn  him  away  in  anger.  Thy 
husband,  Azalim,  the  captive  herdsman  of  Gilead, 
lives.  It  was  the  body  of  another  man,  clothed  in 
his  garments,  whom  we  discovered  in  the  vineyards 
of  the  seacoasts,  and  thy  spouse  is  now  a  hopeless 
leper,  wandering  in  the  wilds  and  deserts.  Thy 
daughter,  and  his  also,  lives  under  the  protection 
of  a  holy  woman,  who  goes  by  the  name  of  a  prin- 
cess, being,  the  Hebrews  say,  a  daughter  of  the 
King  of  kings.  The  child's  father,  I  have  ascer- 
tained, marked  her  on  the  shoulder  with  her  name, 
Astarte,  and  her  birth  can  thus  be  traced. 

"  Great  queen,  there  remains  a  yet  greater  dan- 
ger in  thy  path.  The  prophet  of  Jehovah,  who  gave 
thee  to  wife  with  the  young  Gileadite,  yet  lives,  and 
holds  thy  secret,  and  is,  doubtless,  ready  at  any  mo- 
ment to  sell  it  to  thy  lord,  the  king,  who,  although 
a  slave  to  thy  beauty  and  a  subject  to  thy  will,  may 
not  care  to  share  his  kingly  crown  and  nuptial  bed 
with  the  living  wife  of  a  leper,  a  Syrian  captive,  and 
a  herdsman.  Now,  therefore,  O  queen,  take  counsel. 


Ube  'ClneipecteD  263 

Thou  hast  wisdom  and  witchcraft  on  thy  side. 
Lose  not  an  hour,  lest  thou  be  put  to  shame  before 
the  servants  and  concubines  of  our  lord,  the  king. 
Thy  slave,  Gehanan,  will  guard  these,  thy  secrets, 
with  his  life.  He  hath  sought  out  these  truths  with 
all  diligence,  lest  any  who  are  thy  enemies  should 
first  discover  and  use  them  to  thy  hurt." 

Then  came  the  postscript,  which,  like  a  woman's, 
is  said  to  contain  the  real  meaning  of  the  writer. 

"  Thou  knowest,  O  queen,  that  thy  servant, 
Gehanan,  is  faithful,  and  will  keep  thy  secret,  but 
as  it  putteth  him  thereby  in  great  danger,  and  has 
laid  him,  by  its  discovery,  under  heavy  debt,  he 
prayeth,  of  thy  clemency,  to  send  him  three  talents 
of  gold  and  thirty  shekels  of  silver  current  money 
with  the  merchants,  also  a  mule's  burden  of  spices 
of  Arabia,  as  payment  to  the  merchant  for  money 
lent  for  the  queen's  service.  May  the  queen  live 
for  ever,  prayeth  her  servant  Gehanan." 

Jezebel  read  and  re-read  this  letter  with  bated 
breath  and  a  beating  heart.  She  no  longer  had 
cause  to  wish  that  she  had  a  wish,  with  so  many 
dangers  closing  around  her.  Four  living  witnesses 
of  her  mad  marriage  had  come  to  light,  and  at  any 
moment  her  downfall  might  be  accomplished. 
Completely  as  Ahab  appeared  to  be  under  the  in- 
fluence of  her  stronger  will  and  commanding  char- 


264    asalim :  B  "(Romance  of  ©lb  ?u^ea 

acter,  she  knew,  none  better,  that  there  is  no 
dependence  upon  a  weak  man.  Moreover,  Ahab  was 
intensely  proud  and  keenly  sensitive  to  the  ridicule 
and  contempt  of  public  opinion,  even  in  his  despotic 
rule.  The  fact  that  his  renowned  queen  had  been  the 
wife  of  a  captive  slave  of  Syria,  and  worse,  that  this 
husband  was  not  only  still  living,  but  was  an  outcast 
leper,  crying  "  Unclean,"  in  the  wilderness,  would  so 
absolutely  have  estranged  and  displeased  him,  that, 
even  if  she  escaped  death,  the  instant  disgrace  of 
being  deprived  of  all  her  dignities  of  wife  and  queen 
would  be  inevitable. 

An  instinctive  consciousness,  also,  which  touched 
her  keenly,  told  her  that  when  her  banishment  was 
effected,  Ahab  would  not  only  not  regret,  but  would 
be  glad  to  escape  from  her  rule.  She  knew  he 
was  half-hearted  in  the  religion  of  BaaJ,  inclining 
to  the  worship  of  the  God  of  his  fathers,  under  the 
symbolism  of  the  golden  calf,  and  it  was  only  her 
dominating  will,  and  the  fact  that  the  religion  of 
Baal  was  the  universal  one  in  the  countries  around, 
that  had  overcome  the  king's  national  inclination 
to  the  sin  of  Jeroboam,  and  she  was  sure  that,  with 
her  deposition,  Baal  also  would  be  overthrown. 

But  Jezebel,  according  to  her  custom,  did  not 
yield  without  a  struggle,  or  give  way  to  apprehen*- 


trbe  TIlnexpecte^  265 

sion  and  despair,  but  went  at  once  for  aid  and 
counsel  to  her  god. 

She  sent  the  gold,  silver,  and  spices,  which  he  had 
asked,  to  Gehanan,  and  gave  him  a  well-paid  ap- 
pointment in  the  capital  of  Samaria,  which  he  had 
not  requested,  thanking  him  for  his  information,  and 
the  skill  with  which  he  had  obtained  it,  and  stating 
that  she  had  communicated  the  contents  of  his  letter 
to  King  Ahab,  who  was  quite  satisfied  with  the 
writing  of  divorcement  in  her  possession,  which  her 
former  husband,  Azalim,  had  given  her  before  her 
marriage  with  the  King  of  Israel. 

The  astute  eunuch  smiled  scornfully,  as  he  read 
this  explanation.  "  If  this  were  true,  O  queen,  thou 
wert  not  the  woman  to  send  me  the  gold  and  silver  I 
requested  of  thee,  and  the  stewardship  in  Samaria, 
that  I  did  not  ask  at  thy  hand,"  he  murmured, 
sotto  voce,  to  himself. 

To  attempt  the  life  or  liberty  of  a  leper  was  as 
difficult  as  unnecessary,  and,  for  the  present,  she 
judged  it  prudent  to  make  no  inquiries  as  to  the 
locality  in  which  her  young  daughter  was  concealed. 
The  peril  of  discovery  lay  among  the  prophets  of 
Jehovah,  and  her  familiar  urged  their  wholesale 
destruction,  not  only  as  of  the  first  importance  to 
Jezebel's  own  safety,  but  as  the  most  acceptable  serv- 
ice she  could  offer  her  master  Beelzebub. 


266    Hsalim :  a  iRomance  ot  ®l&  3tt^ea 

Knowing  the  difficulty  and  danger  attending  this 
great  slaughter,  the  queen  eagerly  endeavoured  to 
obtain  from  Moloch  the  name  of  the  prophet  who 
had  united  her  to  Azalim,  urging  that  the  spirit  must 
be  acquainted  with  an  event  which,  though  pri- 
vately, was  not  mysteriously,  carried  out;  but  a 
higher  power  than  that  of  the  demons  forbade  the 
revelation,  and  the  familiar  could  not,  if  he  would, 
communicate  it.  Therefore,  in  her  desperation, 
Jezebel  resolved,  to  use  her  favourite  phrase,  the 
gods  should  do  so  to  her  and  more  also,  if,  ere  many 
weeks  had  passed  away,  one  prophet  of  Jehovah 
should  have  it  in  his  power  to  publish  her  secret. 

Through  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land,  the 
queen's  spies  were  secretly,  but  actively,  at  work, 
to  discover  the  rendezvous  and  designs  of  her  in- 
tended victims,  and  many  were  the  surprises  and 
slaughters  she  planned  for  their  extinction,  but  the 
plots  were  so  continually  revealed  and  frustrated, 
that  the  queen  resolved  on  a  bold  stroke,  which 
should,  at  one  blow,  destroy  the  entire  flower  of  the 
prophets  of  the  Lord, 

She  dared  not  do  this  publicly.  Ahab  would,  as 
Jezebel  well  knew,  refuse  his  consent  to  any  overt 
attack  on  the  worshippers  of  Jehovah.  Therefore 
she  caused  reports  to  reach  the  king  of  threatened 
dangers  from  the  treasons  formed,  and  the  discontent 


Ube  *Clneipecte&  267 

fostered,  at  the  assemblies  of  the  prophets,  and, 
when  the  fears  of  Ahab  had  prepared  the  way, 
she  hired  adventurers,  who  were  ready  in  Israel, 
under  the  name  of  "  Sons  of  Belial,"  to  in- 
form the  king  of  a  false  plot  to  be  matured  at  a 
conference  of  the  sons  of  the  prophets,  to  be  held 
within  a  short  distance  from  Jezreel,  and  at  which 
the  great  prophet  Elijah  was  to  preside.  These  men 
swore  by  Baal  that  they  had  overheard  the  plan  to 
overthrow  and  slay  the  king  and  his  sons,  and  give 
the  kingdom  to  a  captain  of  the  host,  even  as  Zimri 
conspired  against  his  master.  So  artfully  did  the 
queen  arrange  and  carry  out  this  intrigue,  that  she 
completely  succeeded  in  arousing  her  husband  and 
obtaining  his  decree  to  seize  and  slay  the  hundred 
men  about  to  gather  in  the  vicinity  of  the  city. 

In  profound  secrecy  the  wily  woman  managed 
her  purpose.  The  king,  who  was  fond  of  the  show 
and  glitter  of  warlike  display,  often  ordered  bands, 
or  regiments  of  his  men  of  war,  to  present  them- 
selves at  Jezreel,  where  he  held  parades  and  reviews 
in  a  large  enclosure  near  the  palace.  At  the  queen's 
suggestion,  he  now  sent  to  Samaria,  and  com- 
manded that  a  company  of  three  hundred  picked 
men  should  be  sent  to  Jezreel. 

The  hundred  men  of  the  sons  of  the  prophets  had 
arrived  on  the  eve  of  the  Sabbath  at  a  solitary  build- 


a68    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  ot  ©It)  3ut)ea 

ing,  in  which  the  faithful  few  who  had  not  bowed 
the  knee  to  Baal  and  who  had  not  kissed  his  image, 
assembled  to  pray  and  expound  the  law  of  Moses. 

This  Sabbath  was  passed  by  the  prophets  in  fast- 
ing and  prayer,  for  the  iniquity  of  Israel  was  reach- 
ing a  climax  which  tried  to  the  utmost  the  faith  and 
hope  of  the  servants  of  Jehovah.  There  Elijah  was 
to  join  them  on  the  eve  of  the  first  day  of  the  week, 
and  a  holy  convocation  was  to  be  held,  and  united 
supplication  made,  for  the  perilous  state  of  the  land 
of  Israel. 

All  these  plans  were  known  to  Jezebel,  and  yet 
they  had  thought  them  as  concealed  as  she  had 
hitherto  considered  her  own  to  be  unknown. 

The  bands  arrived  early  on  the  morn  of  the  first 
day  of  the  week.  The  king  and  queen  met  them  at 
the  entrance  of  the  palace,  for  Ahab,  genial  and 
popular  of  manner  to  all,  was  especially  so  to  his 
army;  the  queen  graciously  invited  the  captain  and 
his  officers  to  eat  at  her  own  table,  whilst  the  men 
were  feasted  in  the  courtyard  of  the  palace,  and 
rest  during  the  noontide  heat,  after  which  they  were 
to  resume  their  march. 

They  were  all  chosen  men  of  fine  appearance,  and 
excellent  soldiers.  One  hundred  spearmen,  a  hun- 
dred bowmen,  and  a  hundred  swordsmen,  with  a 
captain  in  a  chariot  to  each  hundred,  and  a  chief 


Ube  "ClneipecteO  269 

captain  over  the  whole  company.  As  they  assembled 
to  receive  their  final  orders,  they  were,  in  truth,  a 
splendid  spectacle,  with  the  sun  shining  upon  their 
steel-scale  armour,  their  glittering  helmets  and  their 
burnished  shields,  the  lances  moving  like  lightning- 
flashes,  and  the  keen  broadswords  gleaming  at  their 
sides,  and  Ahab's  heart  swelled  with  kingly  pride 
as  he  viewed  this  goodly  display  of  his  men  of  war. 


CHAPTER   XX. 


VACILLATION 


"  Obadiah  ! "  The  name,  in  a  hushed  and 
hurried  voice,  roused  as  thoroughly  as  if  it  had 
been  the  sound  of  a  trumpet,  a  man  who  was  sleep- 
ing on  a  low  couch  in  a  small  pavilion  adjoining  the 
palace,  who  started  up  and  answered,  in  an  equally 
hushed  and  hurried  manner :  "  My  lord  the  king ! 
What  wilt  thou  with  thy  servant  ?  " 

"  Hist,  keep  thee  silence,"  whispered  Ahab,  clos- 
ing the  door  behind  him.  "  Methought  I  was  fol- 
lowed, and  ears  and  eyes  seem  mortised  between 
the  incubles  of  this  ivory  house.  Hast  thou  seen  the 
band  of  men  which  arrived  this  morning  from  the 
host  in  Samaria?  and  knowest  thou  the  work  for 
which  they  are  come?  " 

"  My  lord  the  king,"  returned  Obadiah,  bowing 
to  the  earth  before  his  royal  master,  "  as  governor 
of  the  king's  house,  I  obeyed  the  order  of  the  queen 
to  provide  food  and  drink  for  the  goodly  men  of 
war  who  came  hither,  but  as  the  servant  of  my  lord, 

«70 


IDacillation  27> 

I  have  not  sought  to  know  the  purpose  for  which  my 
lord  has  appointed  them." 

"  Obadiah,"  said  Ahab,  as  if  changing  the  sub- 
ject, or  forgetting  his  first  question,  "  I  well  know 
thou  fearest  the  Lord  greatly,  and  thinkest,  because 
for  reasons  of  state  I  have  consented  to  allow  the 
worship  of  Baal,  I  am  but  as  the  heathen  who  know 
not  God,  whereas,  although  in  a  different  manner, 
I  fear  the  Lord  as  thou  doest." 

Obadiah  was  silent,  and  the  king,  after  a  short 
pause,  again  spoke: 

"  Thou  thinkest  me  an  idolator  because  I  bow  the 
knee  to  the  Grod  of  Israel  in  the  shape  of  the  golden 
calf,  who  brought  our  fathers  out  of  Egypt,  yet  thou 
makest  obeisance  to  me  as  a  king.  What  is  the 
difference  ?  "  Then,  without  waiting  for  an  an- 
swer, he  continued :  "  As  a  man,  I  require  the 
assistance  of  my  senses  ere  I  can  worship  with  my 
heart,  and  if  this  is  an  error,  surely  Jehovah  will 
pardon  it,  in  consideration  of  the  sincerity  of  the 
worshipper." 

Still  Obadiah  kept  his  silence. 

"  Speak,  answer  me,"  urged  Ahab,  "  and  fear- 
lessly, for  I  will  suffer  thy  words  without  wrath." 

"  O  king,"  answered  the  governor,  "  I  am  not 
careful  to  answer  thee  in  this  manner.  It  is  enough 
for  me  that  Jehovah  permits  us  to  bow  ourselves  in 


272    Hsalim :  H  IRomancc  ot  Qlb  5uC)ea 

reverence  to  our  fellow  creatures,  but  sternly  forbids 
the  prostration  of  the  body  before  any  graven  image 
in  the  act  of  worship.  Ay,  even  were  it  the  likeness 
of  himself,  such  action  would  be  the  abominable 
thing  his  soul  hates." 

"  But  if,  as  I  said  before,  it  is  offered  as  a  sacri- 
fice of  praise,"  persisted  Ahab,  "  if  it  increases 
devotion  —  " 

"  O  king,"  interrupted  Obadiah,  "  to  obey  is  bet- 
ter than  sacrifice,  and  to  hearken  than  the  fat  of 
rams." 

The  king  was  displeased  as  well  as  silenced  by 
this  answer,  and,  again  changing  the  subject,  he 
spoke  in  angry  haste :  "  I  know  not  what  has  led 
us  into  this  useless  dispute;  I  came  to  thee  on  a 
matter  of  life  and  death,  and  here  we  are,  wasting 
time  over  a  needless  wrangle  of  modes  of  worship, 
in  which,  after  all,  one  may  be  as  good  as  another. 
I  came  to  thee,  because  I  can  trust  no  other  man 
within  this  palace,  and,  if  it  please  thee,  I  will  add, 
I  trust  thee  because  I  know  thou  fearest  the  Lord, 
and  I  wished  thou  shouldst  think  the  same  of  my- 
self. Now  listen.  The  band  of  men  of  war  thou 
hast  seen  are  ordered  for  the  slaughter  of  a  hun- 
dred of  the  prophets  of  Jehovah,  who,  with  their 
chief,  the  seer  Elijah,  are  at  present  gathered  in  the 
synagogue  of  the  college  near  this  city." 


lOacillation  273 

Obadiah  staggered  like  one  suddenly  wounded, 
at  these  words,  throwing  up  his  arms,  and  uttering 
a  dull,  hoarse  cry  of  horror.  The  king  steadied  the 
tottering  frame  of  his  steward,  and  placed  his  hand 
on  his  shoulder.  "  Be  calm,  man,"  he  said,  sternly, 
"  and  call  back  thy  courage,  for  it  is  a  matter  of 
immediate  peril;  the  danger  presses,  and  we,  or 
rather  thou,  must  act  at  once." 

Obadiah  had  recovered  now,  and  ventured  to  say : 
**  O  king,  dost  thou,  who  rulest  Israel,  come  to  thy 
servant  to  act  in  place  of  thyself?  " 

A  slight  flush  of  shame  came  upon  Ahab's  brow, 
as  he  proceeded  to  explain  the  particulars  of  his 
startling  announcement.  The  queen  had  discovered 
a  plot  to  dethrone  and  slay  himself  and  his  sons,  and 
give  the  crown  to  a  captain  of  the  host;  this  con- 
spiracy had  its  origin  with  the  prophets  of  Jehovah, 
and  was  to  be  carried  into  effect  at  this  time,  in  the 
synagogue  of  the  college. 

"  It  is  false,"  cried  Obadiah,  his  indignation  over- 
coming his  respect  for  his  master  and  his  fear  of 
Jezebel.  "  If  the  Lord  purposed  to  destroy  thee, 
O  king,  he  would  not  have  determined  on  this 
cowardly  device  for  his  servants  the  prophets.  It 
is  false,  and  the  queen  knows  it  is  as  false  as  they 
are  who  invented  the  tale." 

"  I  believe  now  that  it  is  false,"  replied  Ahab, 


274    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  ot  Qlt>  5u^ea 

too  much  in  earnest  to  take  offence  at  his  steward's 
boldness;  "but  as  at  the  time,"  he  continued,  "I 
credited  the  report,  and  signed  and  sealed  the  decree, 
I  cannot  openly  oppose  the  destruction  of  these  men, 
which,  unless  averted  at  once,  will  be  accomplished 
ere  this  day's  sun  hath  gone  down." 

"  But,  my  lord,  oh,  let  not  the  king  be  angry  if 
thy  servant  asketh  of  thee  what  hath  changed  thy 
set  purpose  ?  " 

"  As  I  lay  on  my  couch  sleeping,  this  noon,"  re- 
plied Ahab,  "  I  awoke,  to  find  myself  in  a  thick 
darkness,  out  of  which  a  voice  thus  spoke :  *  Save 
my  prophets,  or  perish  with  them.'  Then  the  dark- 
ness lifted,  and  there  was  silence." 

"  It  was  the  warning  of  Jehovah,"  exclaimed 
Obadiah,  reverently  prostrating  himself  with  his 
face  to  the  earth.  Then,  rising,  "  My  lord,  take 
courage,  for  the  Lord  will  be  on  thy  side.  Reverse 
the  decree.  These  men  of  war  are  at  thy  command, 
and  the  king's  word  is  nay  as  well  as  ay." 

"  I  cannot,  I  will  not,"  cried  Ahab,  petulantly. 
"  Think  how  all  Israel  will  gibe  and  jeer  at  what 
they  will  call  my  weakness.  Knowest  thou  not  how 
the  queen  will  taunt  and  tell  me  of  the  mockeries 
of  Benhadad,  who  will  jest  with  the  kings,  his  com- 
panions, over  their  wine-cups,  that  I  am  afraid  of 
the  God  I  have  forsaken,  and  make  spoil  of  my 


IDacillation  27s 

cowardice.  No,  Obadiah,  it  is  thou  must  save 
them;  I  cannot  controvert  my  given  word.  Thou 
must  save  the  prophets." 

"  My  lord,  I  am  at  thy  disposal.  Command  thy 
servant,  and  I  will  obey." 

"  The  men  of  war  are  even  now  in  the  courts  of 
the  palace,  receiving  their  last  orders  from  the 
queen,  and  the  time  of  rescue  is  passing  by.  Send 
therefore  a  swift  messenger,  nay,  who  canst  thou 
trust  —  go  thyself  and  warn  these  men  to  escape 
at  once  and  lie  hidden  until  the  danger  is  past. 
Speed  for  thy  life,  for  already  I  hear  the  stir  of 
departure." 

"  I  will  go,  my  lord,  and  may  the  Lord  God 
prosper  my  way,"  responded  Obadiah.  "  I  will  my- 
self saddle  an  ass  so  sure  of  foot  it  will  carry  me 
by  a  goat-path,  a  shorter  way  than  any  man's  feet 
can  go,  to  the  college,"  and  Obadiah  hastened  to  the 
door. 

"  Stay,"  said  Ahab,  "  this  cannot  be.  The  queen's 
spies  are  all  around  us,  and  such  a  preparation 
would  betray  thee.  Thou  must  go  alone  on  foot, 
and  carefully  disguised." 

"  But,  my  lord,  I  am  slow  of  foot  and  heavy ; 
how  can  I  outrun  your  men  ?  " 

"  Where  is  thy  trust  in  God  ?  "  was  the  mock- 
ing answer  of  the  king.  * 


276    aaalim :  H  "Romance  ot  ©l&  5u&ea 

Obadiah  stood  rebuked.  The  heathen's  taunt, 
for  he  regarded  Ahab  as  one,  strengthened  the 
faith  that   was   ready  to  perish. 

Without  a  word,  only  making  a  profound  obei- 
sance to  his  sovereign,  he  quitted  his  presence, 
put  on  a  garb  of  an  inferior  servant,  and  secretly 
left  the  palace. 

Whilst  Ahab  in  his  trembling  fear  was  stealthily 
trying  to  undo  the  evil  he  had  authorized,  Jezebel, 
dressed  in  her  royal  robes,  was  haranguing  the 
soldiers  assembled  ready  to  march  in  the  great 
court  of  the  ivory  house.  "  Three  pieces  of  gold," 
she  cried,  "  to  every  man  who  brings  me  the  head 
of  a  prophet  of  the  Lord,  and  the  weight  of  it  in 
gold  to  him  who  lays  at  my  feet  that  of  Elijah, 
their  master."  Then  turning  to  the  captain  and 
his  officer,  she  thus  addressed  them: 

"  The  king  will  promote  you  to  great  honour 
if  not  one  of  these  men  escape.  Slay !  Slay  "  she 
cried,  the  red  blood  flaming  through  the  red  paint 
on  her  cheeks,  "  and  take  heed,  ye  captains  and 
men  of  war,  that  by  the  morning  light  one  hundred 
and  one  heads  of  the  prophets  of  Jehovah  lie  upon 
the  marble  of  this  court." 

Whilst  this  communication  was  passing  between 
Ahab  and  Obadiah,  a  miserable  being  was  stand- 
ing beside  a  ruined  altar  in  a  secluded  vale  not  far 


IDacillation  «r7 

from  Jezreel.  In  the  revolt  of  the  ten  tribes  against 
the  house  of  David,  they  also  threw  off  their  alle- 
giance to  the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers,  and  forsook 
his  ordinances.  But  he  did  not  leave  them  with- 
out witness.  The  schools  of  the  prophets  arose, 
and  they  were  permitted  to  offer  sacrifices,  not  ac- 
cording to  the  law  of  the  priesthood,  but  after  the 
manner  accepted  from  the  patriarchs.  The  altars 
thus  dedicated  were  destroyed  or  overturned  by 
the  order  of  Jezebel,  and  this  one  so  near  the  royal 
city  had  been  completely  dismantled.  The  man  al- 
luded to  was  a  leper,  suffering  from  the  utmost  in- 
fection of  the  dread  disease,  and  ere  he  dared  pros- 
trate, as  he  desired,  before  the  altar,  he  uttered  the 
warning  cry,  "  Unclean,  Unclean,"  and  then  waited 
for  the  response  from  the  untainted,  "  Room  for 
the  leper,  room." 

There  was  no  answer  to  his  challenge,  and  after 
a  short  pause,  he  sank  with  his  face  to  the  earth, 
beside  the  broken  stones,  and,  casting  dust  upon 
his  head,  cried,  in  the  lamentable  voice  of  mingled 
despair  and  hope,  "  Oh,  that  the  plague  of  my  body 
might  suffice  for  the  sin  of  my  soul.  Lord  God  of 
the  fathers,  I  am  vile,  and  abase  myself  before  thee 
in  dust  and  ashes." 

A  voice  came  clear  and  distinct  in  the  silence, 
"  Rise,  Azalim  the  leper,  thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee." 


2jS    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  ot  ©l&  5u&ea 

He  rose  at  the  command,  and  stood  upright 
What  had  happened?  A  feehng  half  fear,  half 
joy,  possessed  him.  What  was  this  strange,  new 
thing  that  had  come  so  suddenly,  so  wondrously? 
He  was  a  leper  still.  The  horrible  white  flesh  hung 
about  him,  the  diseased  bones  tottered  under  him, 
the  putrid  blood  stagnated  in  his  veins,  and  yet  — 
his  despair  was  turning  to  hope,  his  madness  to  hap- 
piness. 

He  was  another  man;  a  leper,  yes,  but  this  was 
to  him  a  light  affliction  now  that  the  plague  of  his 
heart  had  been  removed,  and  with  peace  and  joy 
which  almost  overwhelmed  him,  he  lay  down  be- 
neath the  shadow  of  an  overspreading  tree,  and  fell 
asleep,  whilst  a  company  of  angels  sang  in  joyous 
harmony  over  the  head  of  the  repentant  sinner. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 


ROOM    FOR    THE    LEPERS 


Scarcely  had  Azalim  reposed  for  a  short  half- 
hour,  ere  another  suppliant  fell  on  his  knees  before 
the  overturned  altar.  This  was  Obadiah,  the 
governor  of  Ahab's  palace,  who,  in  response  to  the 
terrible  information  he  had  received,  had  set  off, 
disguised,  and  on  foot,  to  warn  the  prophets  of  the 
coming  peril. 

But  the  steward  was  ill-fitted  for  the  message. 
Unaccustomed  to  walking  exercise,  stout,  middle- 
aged,  and  necessarily  of  luxurious  habits,  Obadiah's 
strength  had  already  given  way,  and  breathless  and 
exhausted,  he  scarce  could  recover  sufficient  voice 
from  his  panting  breath  to  gasp,  "  O  God  of  thy 
people  Israel,  send  me  a  messenger  to  warn  thy 
holy  prophets  of  their  danger." 

Again  a  voice  came :  "  Behold  the  leper,"  it  said, 
"  send  him." 

Obadiah  looked  around.    There  lay  the  diseased 

man  under  the  sheltering  tree.     Regardless  of  the 

379 


28o    Hsaltm:  H  IRomance  of  ®l&  ^uDea 

risk,  he  approached  him  and  cried,  "  Rise  up,  thou 
leper.    The  Lord  God  calleth  thee." 

AzaHm  opened  his  eyes  and  sat  up,  and  without 
waiting  for  his  question,  Obadiah  thus  addressed 
him: 

"  Look  below,  O  leper,  and  see  the  men  of  war 
whom  Jezebel  hath  sent  to  destroy  my  lord  Elijah, 
and  the  prophets  of  Jehovah.  The  word  of  God 
hath  bid  me  send  thee  to  warn  them,  and  if  thou 
canst  go  by  yonder  goat-path,  there  is  yet  time  to 
save  them.  Bid  them  fly  to  the  caves  of  Elburum, 
and  there  remain  hidden  until  the  search  is  ended, 
and  say  that  Obadiah,  the  king's  steward,  will  feed 
them  there.  Go,  lose  not  a  moment.  See,  the  host 
is  closing  on  their  prey.  There  is  barely  chance 
of  escape." 

With  a  spring  like  the  roe  of  the  mountains, 
a  bound  as  of  the  wild  ass  of  the  wilderness,  a 
flight  such  as  the  eagle  directs  toward  the  sun, 
Azalim  leaped  forward,  and  was  soon  lost  to  the 
steward's  sight.  He  rushed,  without  the  leper's 
cry,  into  the  great  hall  of  the  college,  which  served 
as  the  synagogue  of  the  Sabbath,  and  cried  in  a 
voice  as  of  a  trumpet: 

"  In  the  name  of  the  living  God,  O  thou  prophets 
of  Jehovah!  escape  for  your  lives  to  the  caves  of 
Elburum!    The  host  of  the  king  is  below,  sent  to 


IRoom  for  tbc  Xepcrd  «8i 

slay  you.  Fly!  Delay  not!  Listen,  there  sounds 
below  the  trumpet  of  attack !  " 

Terrified  by  this  sudden  address,  more  alarmed 
still  at  the  appearance  of  Azalim,  the  followers  of 
Elijah  huddled  at  the  other  end  of  the  hall,  and  made 
no  other  movement;  even  their  great  faith  failed 
at  the  near  proximity  of  a  leper. 

"For  the  value,  the  love  of  your  lives,  fly!" 
shouted  Azalim,  in  agony  of  passionate  entreaty, 
"  Death  is  at  hand  from  the  sword  and  the  spear. 
Obadiah  hath  sent  me  to  you.  O  God !  the  chariots 
of  the  captains  are  even  now  at  the  foot  of  the  hill, 
and  ye  are  helpless,  unarmed  men." 

"  Our  lord  Elijah  bade  us  await  his  coming," 
said  the  elder  of  the  prophets ;  "  can  we  desert  him 
and  disobey  his  order?  " 

"  God  will  protect  his  servant,"  cried  Azalim, 
"  and  God  hath  sent  me.  Beware  how  ye  disobey 
him  by  throwing  away  the  lives  he  would  preserve." 

These  words  decided  them,  and  instantly,  as  if 
one  man,  they  left  the  house  and  fled  along  the  hill 
toward  Elburum.  Alas!  it  was  too  late.  They 
were  seen  by  the  soldiers,  who  left  the  road  and 
dashed  up  the  hill  to  cut  off  the  escape.  Unfortu- 
nately there  was  no  other  way  of  refuge,  save  on  this 
exposed  hillside. 

Azalim  looked  at  this  state  of  things  for  some 


282    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  ot  ®lt)  5u&ca 

moments,  in  a  kind  of  paralyzed  despair  and  horror. 
Then  a  sudden  inspiration  came  to  him.  With  a 
succession  of  leaps,  he  dropped  into  the  midst  of 
the  company  of  soldiers,  and  springing  into  the 
chariot  of  the  chief  captain,  he  seized  the  reins  from 
the  charioteer,  who,  with  a  cry,  fell  almost  headlong 
to  the  ground,  whilst  the  rest  of  the  men,  with  the 
shout  "  Room  for  the  leper !  "  broke  their  ranks, 
lost  their  discipline  and  rushed  this  way  and  that 
as  if  not  knowing  whence  to  go.  In  the  meanwhile, 
Azalim  twisted  the  reins  so  short  and  tightly  around 
his  wrists  as  to  bring  the  horses  nearly  on  their 
haunches,  and  turning  his  head  to  the  captain,  who 
was  about  to  retreat  over  the  back  of  the  chariot, 
cried  sternly,  "  Move !  and  I  will  follow  and  embrace 
thee,  and  thou  shalt  be  a  leper  even  as  I  am !  " 

The  captain  shrank  back  in  the  chariot,  trem- 
bring  with  fear.  He  was  one  of  the  bravest  men 
in  the  host,  and  never  until  now  had  he  known 
what  fear  was.     Then  Azalim  spoke  again. 

"  Call  back  thy  men  and  I  will  turn  thy  chariot 
toward  Jezebel,  and  bid  them  follow  thee !  "  Seeing 
the  chief  hesitate,  he  added,  "  If  thou  refusest,  I 
will  rain  my  kisses  on  thy  mouth  as  a  woman  in  love, 
and  the  poison  of  my  blood  shall  enter  into  thee, 
and  we  will  call  *  Unclean '  together  for  evermore." 

There  was  no  hesitation  now.    A  halt  was  called, 


IRoom  for  tbe  Xepers  283 

the  men  formed  anew,  with  their  faces  to  Jezreel; 
Azahm  turned  the  captain's  chariot  in  the  same 
direction,  and  then  again  spoke : 

"  Swear  to  me  by  Jehovah,  and  on  thine  own 
soul,  that  thou  wilt  not  turn  again  to  pursue  the 
prophets  of  the  Lord,  nor  in  any  way  hinder  their 
flight.     Swear,  on  thy  life." 

With  quivering  lips  the  captain  took  the  oath.  He 
was  in  a  great  strait.  With  the  fear  of  Jezebel  on 
the  one  hand,  and  the  greater  fear  of  the  leprosy 
on  the  other,  he  chose  the  lesser  evil. 

"  Now  return  to  the  woman  who  sent  you,"  said 
Azalim  to  him,  "  and  to  the  man  she  calls  her  hus- 
band," he  added,  with  a  bitter  sneer,  —  "  that  fool, 
who,  for  the  sins  of  Israel,  she  calls  her  king,  — 
and  tell  her  that  Jehovah  has  sent  his  leper  to  save 
his  prophets,  and  that  they  have  escaped  beyond  her 
power  to  harm." 

Azalim  flung  the  reins  over  the  horses,  and  leapt 
down  from  the  chariot.  The  captain  followed,  and 
ascended  the  chariot  next  in  command,  his  own 
being  abandoned  for  fear  of  infection,  and,  de- 
jected and  crestfallen,  the  company  turned  slowly 
toward  Jezreel. 

Azalim,  exhausted,  faint  with  hunger,  fatigue, 
and  excitement,  and  parched  with  thirst,  stooped 
down  to  drink  at  a  pool  of  water,  which  lay  placid 


284    Hsalim:  a  "Romance  ot  ®lt)  5u&ea 

and  invitingly  cool  at  his  feet.  As  he  drank,  his 
spirit  revived,  and  he  rose  up  refreshed  and  rein- 
vigorated,  and  was  about  to  start  on  his  journey  to 
his  leper's  home,  when  a  voice  near  by  startled  him 
with  the  words : 

"  Behold,  thou  art  clean !  " 

He  turned,  in  mute  astonishment,  to  see  Elijah 
standing  beside  him.  He  fell  on  his  face  before 
the  prophet,  and  in  speechless  amazement  and  joy 
embraced  his  knees,  and  kissed  the  hem  of  his  gar- 
ment. 

"  All  peace  be  on  thee,  my  son,"  said  Elijah,  lay- 
ing his  hand  upon  the  head  of  Azalim.  "  When 
thou  madest  confession  of  thy  sin,  thy  soul  was  par- 
doned, and  when  thou  saved  the  prophets  of  Jeho- 
vah, thy  body  was  cleansed.  Henceforth,  the 
Spirit  of  the  Most  High  shall  rest  upon  thee  for 
evermore.     Go  in  peace." 

"  I  will  never  leave  thee,  my  lord,  my  father," 
replied  Azalim.  "  Take  me  for  thy  servant,  and 
receive  from  me  the  fidelity  of  a  son.  No,  as  the 
Lord  God  liveth,  I  will  never  again  leave  thee  until 
death  divide  us." 

"  Be  it  so,"  assented  the  prophet,  "  yet,  hear  —  " 
Suddenly  he  broke  off.  "  See,"  he  exclaimed,  "  the 
traitor  captain  hath  recalled  his  men." 


IRoom  tor  tbe  Xepers  285 

It  was  true.  The  bands  had  turned  back  in  full 
pursuit  of  the  fugitives. 

As  with  one  long  step,  Elijah  stood  before  the 
chariot  of  the  chief.  "  Thou  hast  lied  unto  thy 
God,"  he  cried.  "  Be  thou  a  leper  until  the  day  of 
thy  death." 

The  captain  fell  down  in  his  chariot,  a  leper  as 
white  as  snow,  and  the  soldiers  of  Jezebel,  terrified 
at  the  prospect  of  meeting  her,  or  of  remaining  on 
this  doomed  spot,  fled  back  in  confusion  to  Samaria, 
echoing,  as  they  went,  the  panic  cry :  "  Room  for 
the  leper,  room !  " 

When  the  bands  had  disappeared  on  the  road  to 
the  capital,  Elijah  came  back  to  Azalim,  who  was  still 
standing  wrapt  in  mingled  rapture  and  wonder  at 
wlliat  had  happened  to  him.  "  My  son,"  said  the 
prophet,  "  thy  soul  has  been  forgiven  its  sin,  thy 
mind  released  from  its  torment,  thy  body  cleansed 
from  its  disease.  Give  glory  to  the  God  of  Israel,  and 
after  thou  hast  obtained  clothing,  food,  and  rest  in 
the  school  of  the  prophets,  gird  up  thy  loins  for  the 
journey  to  Jerusalem,  where,  in  the  temple  of  the 
great  King,  thou  shalt  make  thy  peace-offering,  and 
pass  through  the  cleansing  cure  of  the  leper." 

"  My  lord,"  replied  Azalim,  kneeling  at  the  seer's 
feet,  "  I  supplicate  thee  not  to  dismiss  me  from  thy 


286    Baalim :  U  IRomance  ot  ©lb  Jubca 

presence.    Let  me  be  thy  servant  and  thy  son,  until 
the  hand  of  death  divide  thee  and  me." 

A  strange  expression  passed  over  the  features 
of  Elijah  at  these  words,  but  it  quickly  passed. 
"  The  future  is  not  for  us  to  predict  or  promise,  my 
son,  except  when  revealed,  and  life  and  death  are 
in  the  hands  of  God.  Do  as  I  have  directed  thee. 
In  a  chamber  above  the  chief  door  of  the  college, 
thou  wilt  find  all  thou  requirest  for  thy  travel  to 
the  holy  city.  At  earliest  sunset  on  the  morrow, 
I  will  accompany  thee  a  day's  journey  on  thy  way. 
Till  then,  go  in  peace." 

When,  the  next  mom,  Azalim  joined  the  prophet, 
a  finer  example  of  an  Israelite  could  scarcely  have 
been  found  within  the  boundaries  of  the  promised 
land.  In  youth,  he  had  outstripped  the  young  men 
of  his  nation  in  comeliness,  and  now,  in  his  early 
middle  age,  it  would  have  been  difficult  to  have 
found  a  rival.  His  form  was  rather  fuller,  yet  as 
athletic,  and  almost  as  alert,  as  when  he  seemed 
to  emulate  the  agility  of  his  herds.  The  young, 
bright  eye  was  keener,  deeper  of  expression,  the 
features  more  finely  cut,  and  the  deep  trial  and  suf- 
fering of  Azalim's  life  had  imparted  an  intellect 
and  dignity  to  his  port  and  manner,  which,  in  its 
grave,  calm  quietude,  imparted  a  strong  interest  in 


IRoom  tor  tbe  Xepers  287 

those  with  whom  he  associated.  Elijah's  rapid 
glance  at  their  meeting  bespoke  his  pleasure  and  ap- 
probation at  the  impression  his  young  kinsman  had 
made  on  him,  and  he  saluted  him  with  a  degree  of 
warmth  rarely  accorded  to  his  company. 

They  parted  at  sunset.  Azalim  performed  all  the 
ceremonies  of  the  temple  and  the  law,  and  then  re- 
turned to  Gilead,  where  he  became  the  devoted 
servant  of  the  prophet.  His  love  and  fidelity  to  his 
master  were  perfect.  He  spared  him  all  anxiety. 
He  provided  for  all  his  wants.  He  guarded  his 
privacy.  He  watched  over  his  safety.  He  listened 
to  his  teachings,  and  he  humbly  strove  to  follow 
the  example  of  his  exalted  life. 

So  the  years  rolled  on,  and  to  Azalim  it  seemed 
as  if  he  had  entered  into  another  life.  The  posses- 
sion of  perfect  health  and  strength  and  liberty  of 
action,  the  equality  with  his  kind,  the  very  breath 
of  heaven's  free  air  in  his  own  breast,  all  combined 
to  render  his  days  like  one  long  holiday  of  joy  and 
pleasure.  His  deep  reverence  and  strong  affection 
for  the  great  prophet  made  his  services  a  delight, 
and  gave  an  object  for  his  labour;  and  the  visita- 
tions of  Elijah  to  the  sons  of  the  prophets,  and  to 
the  hidden  faithful  of  the  land  afforded  change 
and  brightness  to  the  days  as  they  passed. 

The  cloud  had  turned  its  silver  lining  over  Aza- 


288    Hsalim :  a  "Romance  ot  ®l&  5u&ea 

lim's  head,  but  it  is  in  the  nature  of  the  clouds  that 
canopy  this  earth  of  ours,  to  turn  the  other,  and 
darker  side,  upon  its  inhabitants,  and  presently  a 
change  came  over  the  prophet  and  upon  his  servant. 

The  iniquity  of  Israel  had  spread  like  a  plague 
over  the  land.  The  worship  of  Baal,  instigated  by 
Jezebel,  was  universally  accepted  without  a  sign 
of  protest,  at  the  command  of  the  king.  Every 
altar  of  Jehovah  had  been  cast  down.  Every  col- 
lege of  the  prophets  was  shut  up,  and  violent  robbery 
and  injustice  of  every  kind  prevailed  throughout 
the  ten  tribes  of  the  revolt.  Well  might  the  mighty 
prophet  say  now,  as  he  did  afterward,  "  I  only, 
am  left,  and  they  seek  my  life  to  take  it  away." 

Singular  as  it  may  appear,  it  was  a  fact  that,  in 
all  these  long  years,  neither  the  queen  nor  the 
prophet  had  met  or  knew  the  strange  connection 
of  that  secret  marriage  which  had  brought  them  to- 
gether. Elijah  had  confronted  and  rebuked  Ahab 
more  than  once  or  twice  already,  but  never  yet  in 
the  presence  of  his  dominating  wife;  and  Jezebel 
had  pursued,  threatened,  and  bribed,  with  almost 
his  weight  in  gold,  to  compass  his  destruction,  for 
he  alone,  in  Israel,  stood  forth  fearlessly  to  con- 
fess his  God,  and  to  rebuke  the  universal  wickedness 
of  his  people. 

Partly  from  fear  and  shame,  and  partly  from  the 


IRoom  for  tbe  Xepets  289 

promise  which  he  had  given  to  Jezebel  and  still 
respected,  AzaHm  had  never  revealed  the  fatal  his- 
tory of  his  marriage,  or  the  identity  of  his  bride, 
to  Elijah, 

For  months  the  prophet  had  led  a  life  of  the  ut- 
most seclusion,  as  severe  as  any  hermit  of  the  The- 
baid.  Prayers,  vigils,  and  fastings,  were  offered 
without  ceasing,  and  in  mingled  awe  and  wonder 
the  faithful  servant  watched  and  waited,  not  with 
unfailing  faith,  it  must  be  said,  for  no  sign  in  the 
sky,  on  the  earth,  or  under  it,  came  in  response  to 
the  earnest  prayers  offered  up  in  that  lone  cave  of 
the  wilderness. 

Soon  after  the  acceptance  of  Azalim's  services 
by  the  prophet,  one  of  the  progresses  of  the  latter 
took  them  to  the  house  of  Zillah.  The  joy  of  the 
two  friends  at  the  restoration  of  Azalim  needs  no 
description,  —  it  was  further  heightened  on  his  part 
by  the  recognition  of  the  young  Astarte,  as  his 
daughter.  She  had  grown  into  a  lovely  childhood, 
and  bade  fair  to  imitate  and  emulate  the  disposition 
as  well  as  the  beauty  of  her  adopted  mother. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


THE     MESSAGE 


The  famine  was  sore  in  the  land.  No  rain- 
charged  clouds  gathered  under  the  brazen  sky.  No 
mists  arose  from  the  iron-bound  earth.  If  a  blade 
of  vegetation  could  have  pierced  its  surface,  there 
would  have  been  no  moisture  below  to  nourish  its 
roots.  Insect  and  vegetable  life  had  vanished  from 
the  ground.  The  birds  fell  famished  from  the  leaf- 
less forest  boughs,  and  their  bodies  were  scarce 
worth  the  plucking  for  food  to  those  who  picked 
them  up.  The  beasts  were  slaughtered  because 
there  was  no  fodder  to  keep  them  alive,  and  in  the 
fields  and  highways  the  human  dead  lay  unburied 
and  unnoticed,  for  they  were  but  fleshless  skeletons 
covered  with  skin  that  was  scorched  to  a  mummy 
dryness  by  the  merciless  heat  of  the  sun's  fierce 
rays. 

Six  months  only  had  passed,   and  three  more 

years  of  this  deadly  dearth  were  yet  to  come,  and 

still  the  doomed  people,  and  their  weak,  obstinate 

«9o 


JLbc  nbcseagc  391 

ruler,  humbled  not  themselves  before  the  mighty 
hand  that  had  so  sorely  smitten  them. 

The  worship  of  Baal  had  increased  rather  than 
diminished  in  popularity  since  the  famine,  for  the 
priests  promised,  in  his  name,  speedy  relief,  and 
bowed,  prostrated,  supplicated,  and  cut  themselves, 
after  their  manner,  in  the  hope  that  blood  would 
propitiate  their  deity,  whose  only  answer  was  to 
empty  upon  them  the  stored-up  volcanoes  of  his 
flames,  and  scorch  them  with  a  sevenfold  degree 
of  increased  heat. 

Ahab  gave  no  sign  of  repentance,  for,  personally, 
the  famine  did  not  seriously  affect  him  or  his  family. 
Indeed,  in  the  palace  of  Jezreel  the  calamity  was  but 
lightly,  if  at  all,  felt.  The  drought  was  confined  to 
the  land  of  Israel,  and  to  the  adjoining  coasts  and 
countries  in  which  the  religion  of  Baal  was  estab- 
lished. Judah  was  exempt,  as  also  was  Egypt,  and 
from  these  countries,  chiefly  from  the  latter, 
secretly,  and  by  night,  dried  meats,  fruit,  corn,  and 
other  portable  foodstuffs,  were  conveyed  to  the 
ivory  house  of  the  king  and  queen,  and  privately 
stored  in  the  vaults  and  towers,  whilst  the  retinue 
was  reduced  to  the  service  absolutely  necessary  for 
the  personal  wants  of  royalty,  and  that  of  the 
prophets  of  the  groves  who  ate  at  Jezebel's  table. 

Obadiah  was  still  the  governor  of  the  palace. 


«9*    asalim:  H  Romance  ot  ®lt>  5ut>ea 

The  queen  hated  him  as  she  once  did  Gehanan,  and 
had,  in  like  manner,  endeavoured  to  compass  his 
disgrace,  even  going  so  far  on  one  occasion  as  to 
threaten  Ahab  with  the  alternative  of  losing  her, 
or  giving  up  the  steward.  But  the  king,  with  all 
his  weakness,  now  and  then  exhibited  a  soft  obsti- 
nacy, and  at  this  hint,  showed  such  an  alarming  in- 
clination to  retain  his  governor  that  the  queen 
immediately  dropped  the  subject,  and  Obadiah 
remained  in  undisputed  possession  of  his  post. 

During  the  famine,  the  king  gave  the  entire  direc- 
tion and  storage  of  the  provisions  into  his  hands, 
with  unrestricted  permission  to  feed  his  own  family, 
who  lived  in  Jezreel,  and  any  particular  friends  in 
want  he  might  choose  to  succour.  Obadiah  gladly 
availed  himself  of  the  privilege,  and  maintained 
alive  the  few  remaining  prophets  and  servants  of 
Jehovah  who  were  in  concealment  from  the  perse- 
cution of  Jezebel. 

The  great  Elijah  and  his  servant  had  been  pro- 
vided with  food  by  Obadiah,  but  the  former  had 
been  commanded  to  take  refuge  by  the  brook 
Cherith,  and  to  the  almost  despairing  grief  of 
Azalim,  his  master  was  now  about  to  depart.  They 
were  eating  their  last  meal  together,  when  the  sor- 
row of  the  faithful  servitor  broke  forth  in  an  ex- 
ceeding bitter  exclamation : 


Ube  ObcssaQC  393 

"  My  father,  my  father !  Let  me  go  with  thee, 
or  I  die!" 

"  It  cannot  be,  my;  son.  The  word  bids  me  go 
alone." 

"And  I,  whither  can  I  go?  When  I  left  thee, 
as  a  captive,  in  Damascus,  I  fell  into  grievous  sin, 
and  was  for  long  years  a  leper;  and  now  thou 
leavest  me,  I  shall  sin  again,  and  renew  my  chas- 
tisement." 

"  Never,  my  son,"  returned  the  prophet ;  "  thou 
wilt  sin  again,  as  every  son  of  man  will  until  death, 
but  the  spirit  of  the  living  God  is  with  thee  now, 
and  thou  wilt  not  remain  in  it.  But  say  no  more. 
Our  path  is  to  obey,  not  to  inquire.  To  trust,  not  to 
despair.  Tarry  thou  here  until  thou  receivest  a 
message  from  me  which  shall  tell  thee  what  thou 
must  do." 

Then  Elijah  raised  his  hands,  and,  holding  them 
over  the  bent  head  of  his  adopted  son,  blessed  him 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  Neither  trusted  himself 
to  say  a  word  of  farewell.  The  prophet  girded 
himself  for  the  journey,  slung  a  cruse  of  water  and 
a  wallet  containing  bread  over  his  shoijlder,  and 
departed. 

As  if  to  fill  up  the  measure  of  Azalim's  distress, 
the  very  day  after  his  master  had  left  him,  sorrowful 
news  came  from  Zillah.-  The  young  maiden  Astarte 


294    H3alim :  a  "Komance  of  ®l^  3u&ea 

had  mysteriously  and  suddenly  disappeared.  She 
had  been  gathering  fruit  in  the  orchards  of  the 
white  house  and  did  not  return.  The  most  diligent 
search  had  been  made  for  her,  and  every  inquiry 
set  on  foot,  but  not  the  slightest  clue  could  be  ob- 
tained. No  one  had  seen  or  heard  of  her.  A  de- 
spairing apprehension  fell  upon  the  sorrowing 
father.  What  if  the  cruel  queen  had  discovered  and 
kidnapped  the  unhappy  maiden? 

Several  weeks  passed,  and  no  message  from  his 
master  came  to  the  desolate  Azalim.  After  dark 
each  night,  he  went  to  the  appointed  place  to  find 
the  portion  of  food  provided  for  him  by  Obadiah, 
hoping  to  hear  some  tidings  through  the  governor, 
and  each  time  he  was  disappointed. 

One  evening,  on  nearing  the  tree  in  the  hollow 
trunk  of  which  his  daily  meal  was  deposited,  he 
perceived  two  ravens  perched  above  in  one  of  its 
branches.  His  spirits  sank  at  the  sight.  Doubtless 
these  birds  of  prey  had  discovered  and  devoured 
his  hoped-for  supper.  None  but  one  who  is  living 
in  a  state  of  semi-starvation  could  understand  the 
dismay  the  loss  of  the  meal  would  cause,  nor  be  able 
to  appreciate  Kis  joy,  when,  on  unfolding  the  cloth, 
he  found  not  only  the  contents  untouched,  but  the 
unusual  addition  of  a  piece  of  goat's  flesh  and  a 
large  bunch  of  raisins. 


Ube  /l>eddade  295 

Placing  the  provisions  in  a  bag  in  his  girdle, 
and  hiding  the  cloth  in  the  tree,  he  was  about  to  go 
home  when  a  loud  cry  from  above  his  head  caused 
him  to  look  up  at  the  birds,  who  were  still  perched 
on  the  tree. 

They  were  flying  from  bough  to  bough,  and  it 
seemed  as  if  they  wished  to  attract  his  attention, 
for  as  he  looked  they  flew  to  another  tree,  and  so 
on,  until,  tired  of  the  apparently  useless  game,  he 
sat  down  and  began  eating  his  supper,  when  the 
birds,  who,  strange  to  say,  were  plump  and  well- 
fed,  remained  quietly  above  him,  and  made  no 
attempt  to  seek  the  crumbs  which  fell  from  his 
meal. 

This  conduct  appeared  so  singular  to  Azalim  that 
he  resolved  to  follow,  or  at  least  observe  the  direc- 
tion in  which  the  ravens  flew. 

The  birds  lent  themselves  to  his  wish.  They 
flew  and  perched  and  flew  again,  and  Azalim,  be- 
coming interested,  followed  on  and  on,  until  they 
came  to  a  small  brook-tributary  of  the  Jordan,- 
when  they  flew  away. 

Azalim  followed  the  course  of  the  brook  for 
awhile  and  at  last  his  journey  gained  its  reward, 
for  on  a  bank  beside  the  water  lay  a  folded  paper, 
the  appearance  of  which  filled  him  with  a  surprise 
almost  akin  to  fear.    Recovering  himself,  he  picked 


296    Haalim :  H  IRomance  ot  ©ID  5ut)ea 

up  the  paper,  unfolded  it  and  read  the  following 
words : 

"  To  Azalim,  my  son.  Go,  hire  thyself  as  serv- 
ant to  Obadiah  at  the  house  of  Ahab,  King  of 
Israel.  Elijah." 

Azalim  let  the  paper  fall  from  his  trembling 
hand  in  astonishment.  Go  to  the  house  of  Ahab, 
where  the  woman  dwelt  who  had  wrought  such  sin 
upon  his  soul,  such  awful  ruin  to  his  body!  The 
wife,  who  was  the  titular  queen  of  the  king  of  his 
country,  yet  still  his  wife  and  none  other's.  His 
wife,  who  had  played  the  king  false,  as  she  had 
played  him  false,  for  the  tales  which  had  met  his 
ear  concerning  her,  made  his  ears  tingle  and  his 
cheek  flush  with  shame  that  she  was  his  wife;  yet, 
such  was  still  the  fatal  power  of  this  evil  woman 
over  him,  he  was  filled  with  a  great  fear  lest  he 
should  be  unable  to  escape  her  witchcrafts,  and  fall 
under  her  influence  again. 

He  sat  down  beside  the  brook  and  rested  his 
head  in  his  hands.  He  recalled  the  dreadful  past, 
and  shuddered  at  the  threatening  future. 

"God  of  my  fathers,"  he  groaned,  "why  hast 
thou  so  dealt  with  me  ?  " 

The  why  and  the  wherefore  of  rebellious  inquiry 


Ube  ADessage  397 

rose  surging  within  him,  and  as  no  answer  was  pos- 
sible to  the  supplication,  a  keen,  bitter  feeling  of 
despair  filled  his  soul,  and  he  almost  resolved  to 
disobey  the  command  of  the  great  prophet,  and  re- 
fuse to  enter  her  accursed  palace. 

Azalim  returned  to  his  home,  and  resolved  to  go 
to  Obadiah,  show  him  the  prophet's  letter,  and  abide 
by  his  decision,  and  at  early  dawn  he  departed  for 
Jezreel. 

"  From  my  lord  Elijah,"  cried  Obadiah,  taking 
the  paper,  "  the  God  of  Israel  be  praised  that  he  is 
safe." 

When  he  had  read  the  few  words,  he  exclaimed, 
joyfully :  "  Thou  art  welcome,  my  son.  I  needed 
help  like  thine.  Thy  bread  shall  be  given  and  thy 
water  sure,  until  my  lord  the  prophet  returns  to 
claim  thee !  " 

But  Azalim  spoke  not  a  word. 

"What  ails  thee?"  said  Obadiah,  surprised,  and 
then  looking  more  closely  at  his  visitor,  he  marked 
the  ashy  pallor  of  his  face,  the  sunken  jaw,  the  limbs 
scarce  able  to  keep  upright,  and  an  expression  of 
wild  anxiety  on  the  features.  "  Ah !  "  he  cried, 
"  food,  rest,  peace  of  mind  are  failing  thee,"  and, 
as  he  spoke,  he  gathered  together  some  mats  and 
pillows  and  arranged  them  hastily  as  a  couch  on 
which  he  made  Azalim  recline,  and  giving  him  a 


298    H3alim :  H  IRomance  of  ®10  Jubca 

strong  cordial  to  restore  strength  at  once,  left  him 
to  procure  food,  and  would  not  suffer  a  word  of 
explanation  until  his  guest  had  eaten. 

"  Now,  my  son,"  said  Obadiah,  "  tell  me  all  that 
is  on  thy  mind,  for  I  perceive  that  a  heavy  weight 
is  still  upon  it." 

"  Ere  I  speak  another  word,"  replied  Azalim, 
"  swear  by  the  Lord  God  of  our  fathers  that  thou 
wilt  not  reveal  to  a  living  soul  the  things  I  am 
about  to  tell  thee." 

Obadiah  took  the  required  oath. 

"  Now,  bar  the  door,  close  the  lattice  and  come 
near  to  me,"  whispered  Azalim,  "  and  I  will  tell 
my  tale,  at  which  thou  wilt  marvel,  and  understand 
the  reason  of  my  seeking  counsel." 

Then,  for  the  first  time,  he  related  the  story  of  his 
own  life,  from  the  day  he  was  taken  prisoner  by 
the  Syrian  band,  until  that  on  which  he  was  cleansed 
from  the  leprosy  and  became  Elijah's  servant. 

The  astonishment  of  Obadiah  was  only  exceeded 
by  his  joy  at  the  tidings  of  the  false  position  of  the 
queen.  He  removed  his  shoes  from  his  feet  and 
stood  up  in  the  attitude  of  prayer,  "  Glory  be  to  the 
Lord  God  of  Israel,"  he  ejaculated,  reverently,  "  who 
has  thus  brought  about  the  deliverance  of  his  people 
from  the  yoke  of  this  wicked  woman !  Arise,  Aza- 
lim.   Let  us  at  once  go  to  my  lord  the  king.    Ahab 


XCbe  HDessaQC  299 

is  proud  as  Lucifer,  the  Son  of  the  Morning,  and 
I  mistake  me  if  he  is  not  tired  at  times  of  the 
dominion  of  his  false  wife," 

"  No,"  responded  Azalim,  laying  a  detaining  hand 
upon  the  governor's  arm,  "  it  cannot  be.  This  mat- 
ter must  be  kept  secret  for  the  command  came  to  the 
great  prophet,  '  Let  her  alone !  She  is  to  fill  up 
the  measure  of  her  guilt  unchecked,  and  then  the  ven- 
geance is  to  be  the  Lord's.'  " 

"  His  ways  are  not  our  ways,"  responded  Obadiah, 
reverently,  "  and  as  he  hath  directed  thee  here,  thou 
must  come,  and  trust  that  the  great  God  of  heaven 
will  guard  thy  life  from  the  wicked  hands  of  this 
daughter  of  Beelzebub." 

"  It  is  not  that  which  I  fear,"  and  Azalim  spoke 
in  a  low,  scared  voice. 

"  What  worse  can  there  be,  my  son?  " 

"  That  she  may  lead  me  a  willing  slave,  into  the 
ranks  of  the  enemies  of  the  living  God.  Obadiah, 
thou  knowest  her  witchcrafts  that  they  are  many, 
but  thou  dost  not  know  the  awful  sway  she  wields 
over  the  very  souls  of  men,  and  I  tell  thee  that  if, 
at  this  moment,  she  chose  to  exert  that  power,  I 
fear,  nay,  I  believe  that  I  should  yield  and  be  lost. 
How,  then,  dare  I  thus  throw  myself  in  her  way." 

The   steward   at  first  looked   incredulous,   then 


300    Hsalim :  a  "Romance  ot  ®lt)  5ubca 

grave,  then  his  brow  cleared,  and  he  said,  emphati- 
cally : 

"  Thou  hast  no  choice  but  to  obey,  my  son,  and 
must  leave  the  result  to  God,  who  sends  thee  hither ; 
I  will  take  care  that  the  false  queen  and  yourself  do 
not  meet.  Put  your  trust  in  the  God  of  our  fathers, 
and  believe  he  hath  a  purpose  for  your  good  in  this 
command." 

"  I  have  no  strength  to  oppose  or  resist  her," 
observed  Azalim,  despondingly. 

"  Did  not  Joseph  resist  the  wicked  Zuleika  ? " 
remonstrated  Obadiah, 

"  But  he  fled  from  her,"  retorted  Azalim. 

"  Fled  from  her,  but  not  from  the  house,  for  there 
his  duty  lay,"  answered  the  steward.  "  Do  not 
mistrust  Jehovah,  my  son.  He  hath  not  brought 
thee  here  without  good  reason,  and  most  certainly 
not  to  deliver  thee  into  the  hands  of  Jezebel." 

Azalim  took  courage  from  the  words  of  Obadiah, 
and  thus  strangely  the  husband  and  wife  were,  after 
long  years,  brought  together  again  under  the  same 
roof. 

To  avoid  the  queen's  recognition,  the  governor 
adrised  Azalim  to  adc^t  the  garl^  of  an  Assyrian, 
and  have  his  hair  and  beard  dressed  in  stiff,  long 
curls,  after  the  mode  of  that  country.  Azalim,  hav- 
ing renewed  his  vows  of  the  Nazarite,  easily  assumed 


XLbc  /Dessage  301 

the  fashion,  which  greatly  became  his  fine  person, 
and  as  he  affected  an  ignorance  of  the  Israelite  lan- 
guage, the  risk  of  being  detected  by  his  voice  was 
avoided. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

ASTARXi 

AzALiM  had  not  been  long  in  the  palace  ere  he 
made  a  terrible  discovery. 

One  day  he  was  engaged  alone  in  examining 
stores  in  the  cellarage  of  the  buildings,  when  he 
heard  loud  cries  for  help,  mixed  with  groans,  as  if 
from  some  one  in  great  danger  and  suffering.  He 
hastened  along  a  narrow  pvassage  toward  the  sounds, 
and  found  that  they  proceeded  from  underground, 
and  that  the  voice  was  that  of  a  woman,  or  rather, 
of  a  very  young  maiden.  His  further  progress  was 
barred  by  a  bolted  door,  and  he  hurried  in  search  of 
Obadiah,  to  whom  he  at  once  communicated  the  dis- 
covery. 

"  Alas !  "  exclaimed  the  governor,  sorrowfully, 
"  the  dungeons  of  this  ivory  house  are  filled  with 
the  victims  of  this  accursed  woman  and  her  priests." 

Without  further  explanation,  Obadiah  followed 
Azalim,  and  when  he  came  to  the  closed  door,  he 
said :   "  This  is  the  opening  over  the  prisons.    One 


H5tarte  •  303 

only  can  venture  farther,  my  son.  Abide  thee  here, 
and  I  will  find  out  the  meaning  of  this  outrage." 

He  entered,  and  quietly  closed  the  door  upon  Aza- 
lim.  The  cries  came  only  at  intervals  now,  and 
weaker.  A  miserable  suspicion  came  upon  Azalim, 
and  he  could  scarcely  endure  the  impatience  and  anx- 
iety that  possessed  him. 

At  last  Obadiah  returned.  His  face  more  resem- 
bled a  corpse  than  a  living  man,  and  upon  it  was 
impressed  a  look  of  inexpressible  horror.  He  beck- 
oned to  Azalim  to  follow  him,  and  when  he  reached 
his  own  apartment,  shut  and  bolted  the  door,  and, 
falling  half  unconsciously  on  a  divan,  he  covered 
his  face  with  his  hands,  and  groaned  as  in  agony. 

Recovering  himself,  he  said,  under  his  breath : 

"  I  looked  through  the  bars  above  one  of  the  dun- 
geons, and  there  I  saw  two  of  the  priests  of  Baal, 
who  had  brought  with  them  an  image  of  their  god, 
and  a  brazier  full  of  live  coals."    He  stopped. 

"  What  else?  "  whispered  Azalim,  hoarsely. 

"  A  young  maiden,  very  young,  almost  a  child, 
chained,  half-starved,  half-clothed,  with  the  marks  of 
blows  on  her  person,  stood  beside  them,  and  boldly 
refused  to  obey  their  command  to  bow  before  the  idol 
and  kiss  its  foot." 

"  Go  on,"  said  Azalim,  in  a  voice  of  suppressed 
anguish. 


304    H3alim:  H  IRomance  ot  ®l&  5tt^ea 

"  One  of  the  men,"  ccaitinued  the  governor,  "  a 
Syrian,  thus  addressed  her :  '  Hear,  thou  child  of 
an  Israelite  dog,  the  Queen  of  Israel,  angered  at  thy 
refusal  to  renounce  Jehovah,  hath  given  thee  into  our 
hands  to  conquer  thy  obstinacy.  We,  therefore,  give 
thee  thy  choice.  Prostrate  thee  to  Baal,  and  own 
him  for  god,  and  thou  shalt  be  decked  in  scarlet  and 
pearls,  and  become  a  dancing  and  singing  woman 
of  the  pleasures  of  the  groves.  Refuse,  and  thy 
hand  shall  be  consumed  in  this  flame.  Choose  Baal 
or  the  fire.'  " 

"  What  was  her  choice  ?  "    whispered  Azalim. 

"  She  held  out  her  hand  over  the  brazier,  this 
brave  and  holy  maid,"  answered  the  governor, 
"  and  said,  in  a  loud,  clear  voice,  *  The  fire,'  and 
then  —  " 

"Then?"    repeated  Azalim. 

"  The  two  sons  of  Baal  seized  her  hand,  and  —  " 

"  Say  no  more,"  cried  Azalim,  in  a  frenzy  of  pas- 
sion. "  Oh,  Obadiah,"  he  added,  smiting  his  breast 
in  agony,  "  I  feel  convinced  this  maiden  is  my  daugh- 
ter !  What  can  we  do  to  save  her  ?  "  he  added,  in 
an  accent  of  utter  hopelessness. 

"  Watch  and  wait,"  was  the  reply. 

There  was  not  much  that  escaped  the  knowledge 
of  the  queen,  either  in  the  house  of  Jezreel  or  the 


H6tarte  305 

land  of  Israel.  She  soon  heard  of  the  Assyrian 
who  assisted  the  steward,  and  the  very  day  after 
the  discovery  of  the  prisoner  in  the  dungeon,  an 
order  came  from  the  queen  that  the  Assyrian  should 
present  himself  before  her,  with  a  list  of  the  latest 
Egyptian  consignments.  With  the  view  of  a  better 
concealment,  it  was  given  out  that,  although>  the 
foreign  servant  could  understand  the  Hebrew  lan- 
guage, he  was  unable  to  speak  it,  and  this  circum- 
stance was  mentioned  to  the  queen. 

When  Azalim  entered  her  presence,  he  bowed 
to  the  ground,  as  he  presented  his  lists,  placed  his 
finger  on  his  lips  as  he  rose,  in  sign  of  his  enforced 
silence,  and  stood  facing  her,  awaiting  further  com- 
mands. 

There  was  no  recognition  in  the  bold,  approving 
look  with  which  the  lawless  woman  regarded  him. 
Years  before  she  had  fallen  in  love  at  first  sight  with 
the  well-favoured,  youthful  Gileadite,  and  now  she 
experienced  as  instantaneous  a  fancy  for  the  goodly 
Assyrian,  standing  before  her  in  the  unequalled  per- 
fection of  a  magnificent  manhood.  She  was  un- 
accustomed to  forego  or  delay  her  inclinations,  and, 
with  a  flattering  speech,  implying  the  impression  he 
had  made  on  her,  bade  him  return  to  Obadiah,  and 
tell  him  the  queen  claimed  his  servant  for  her  own. 

"  Her   servant,"    repeated    Obadiah,    scornfully, 


3o6    a3altm :  H  IRomance  of  ®l&  5u&ea 

who  knew  Jezebel  too  well  not  to  comlprehend  the 
meaning  of  the  term ;  "  was  there  ever  a  stranger 
thing  than  this,  O  Azalim,  where  a  wife  selects  her 
husband  to  break  her  marriage  vows  ?  " 

Jezebel  was  not  long  in  paying  the  same  court 
to  Azalim  the  man,  which  she  had  so  cunningly 
offered  to  Azalim  the  youth.  "  Have  I  not  a  right 
to  consult  my  own  affections  now  ?  "  she  said  to 
him.  "  I  have  given  children  to  Ahab  and  Israel, 
I  have  governed  his  country,  I  have  lived  for  his 
welfare.  Have  I  then,  at  last,  no  right  to  follow 
my  own  inclinations  ?  "  She  paused,  and  looked 
appealingly  at  him,  for  something  in  his  look  and 
attitude  checked  further  speech. 

He  stood  with  his  arms  folded,  a  little  bent  for- 
ward, with  compressed  lips  and  frowning  brow,  and 
a  look  in  his  eyes  which,  in  her  preoccupation,  she 
did  not  observe.  As  he  made  neither  sign  nor  move- 
ment, she  went  on : 

"  I  see  thou  dost  not  quite  understand  me,  Assyr- 
ian; I  will  speak  slower.  I  am  about  to  choose 
thee  for  my  favourite,  and  will  shower  gifts  of 
silver  and  gold  and  slaves,  and  all  pomp  and  luxury 
upon  thee,  and  thou  shalt  bask  in  the  affection  of 
her  who  is  acknowledged  to  be  the  most  beautiful, 
not  only  of  queens,  but  of  women." 

He  again  made  no  reply. 


Hstarte  307 

"  Oh,  speak,  Assyrian,"  she  cried,  impatiently, 
"  surely  thou  canst  say  one  word  of  comprehension. 
Thou  canst  at  least,  pronounce  the  name  of  Jezebel." 

His  arms  fell  to  his  sides,  his  features  relaxed, 
and  in  a  voice  which  rang  through  the  room,  he  did 
pronounce  the  name: 

"Jezebel!" 

She  knew  him  now;  her  eyes  were  opened. 
Shame  came  to  the  shameless,  fear  to  the  fearless 
woman,  and  with  quivering  lips,  she  uttered  the 
words,  "  I  was  told  that  thou  wert  a  leper,  Azalim." 

"  False  wife,  unnatural  mother !  It  would  be  but 
thy  deserts  to  denounce  thee  to  the  king,  and  hurl 
thee  to  destruction,  but  deliver  up  my  child  to  me, 
and  refrain  from  molesting  us  in  the  future,  and  I 
will  leave  thee  to  the  judgment  of  Jehovah.  Haste 
thee,  Jezebel,  summon  Obadiah,  and  give  to  him 
the  order  of  deliverance  from  the  dungeon,  or  I 
will  reveal  myself  to  Ahab,  and  thy  doom  is 
certain." 

She  obeyed,  sent  for  the  governor,  and  gave  him* 
the  authority  to  release  the  imprisoned  maiden. 

"  My  son,"  said  the  governor  to  Azalim,  when 
they  had  quitted  Jezebel's  presence,  "  the  purpose 
of  the  Lord,  in  ordering  thee  to  come  to  the  house 
of  Ahab,  was  very  dark  to  thee,  and  tried  thy  faith 
sorely.    Dost  thou  see  it  now  ?  "' 


3o8    Haalim :  H  'Romance  ot  ©lt>  5u&ea 

"  I  sinned  in  doubting  it,"  replied  Azalim,  humbly. 

"  Let  it  strengthen  thy  faith  for  the  future,  my 
son,"  said  Obadiah. 

The  young  Astarte  was  taken  to  the  house  of  the 
steward  in  Jezreel,  and  there  tenderly  cared  for 
until  she  was  sufficiently  recovered  to  travel  with  her 
father  to  the  house  of  her  adopted  mother  Zillah. 
Phanuel's  wealth  protected  his  daughter  from  want 
during  the  famine,  and  enabled  her  still  to  feed  the 
lepers,  and  for  some  months  her  extreme  care  and 
devotion  prolonged  the  life  of  the  martyred  Astarte. 
Suddenly  there  was  a  relapse,  and  all  hope  fled ;  she 
faded  as  rapidly  as  a  plucked  flower,  and  one  night 
she  asked  to  be  left  alone  for  awhile,  as  she  wished 
to  sleep  in  quiet.  Zillah  complied,  but  remained  at 
the  door  of  the  chamber,  watching.  After  a  time 
she  heard  low  voices  within.  An  unaccountable 
solemnity  came  over  her,  and  she  sent  for  Azalim, 
who  was  lodging  at  her  overseer's,  in  order  to  be 
near  at  hand  should  any  change  come  suddenly  to 
the  cherished  child.  Zillah  quietly  c^ned  the  door; 
Astarte's  bed  had  been  removed  to  the  opening  of 
the  lattice  railing,  to  give  air  to  the  young  suflferer, 
and,  bending  over  her,  they  saw  a  form  of  dazzling 
radiance  supporting  and  comforting  Astarte,  on 
whose  features  rested  such  a  light,  that  the  father 
and  adopted  mother  fell  on  their  knees  at  the  portal, 


Hstartc  309 

not  daring  to  approach.  The  celestial  visitant  gen- 
tly laid  the  child  back  on  the  bed,  and  floated 
through  the  open  casement  toward  a  light  in  the 
midnight  sky,  from  which  came  the  echoes  of  a 
music  sweeter  than  they  had  ever  heard  on  earth, 
and  it  appeared  to  them  that  the  bright  vision  folded 
something  precious  within  its  silvery  pinions. 

A  cloud  closed  over  the  opening,  and  then  the 
two  entered  the  chamber,  to  see  the  beloved  child 
lying  calm  and  beautiful  in  mortality's  last  sleep. 

"  She  is  lost  to  us  for  ever,"  said  the  father,  with 
a  stifled  groan. 

"Nay,  my  friend,"  replied  Zillah,  softly,  "'tis 
but  a  little  time  ere  thou  and  I  will  follow  and  find 
her." 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


THE    WARNING 


"  Rise  up,  thou  King  of  Israel ;  why  liest  thou 
thus  stricken  as  thou  wert  sick,  or  beaten  by  thine 
enemies,  or  cast  from  thy  throne  by  revolting  sub- 
jects; what  ailest  thee,  to  lie  thus,  like  a  beaten 
child  or  thwarted  woman?  " 

A  woman  of  regal  beauty,  dressed  in  royal  em- 
broidered robes,  with  a  jewelled  crown  upon  her 
head,  thus  addressed  a  man  lying  upon  a  couch,  un- 
washed, unshorn,  unshaven,  who  turned  peevishly 
from  food  that  had  been  brought  to  him,  and  was 
actually  whimpering  like  a  baby. 

He  did  not  answer  or  notice  her,  but  turned  his 
face  to  the  wall. 

"  Speak,"  she  said,  imperiously  stamping  her  foot 
on  the  floor.  "  What  troubles  thee,  Ahab?  A  king 
can  have  none  that  cannot  be  removed.     Speak." 

"  I  am  no  king,"  almost  whined  the  man  qj^  the 

couch,  half  turning  his  head  around  to  her.    "  It  is 

not  seemly  any  man  should  own  land  near  a  king's 

310 


Ube  *OGlarntna  3" 

palace,  and  I  offered  Naboth  the  value  he  chose  to 
put  upon  it,  for  the  vineyard  that  lies  below  the 
nearest  watch-tower,  and  he  refused  because  some 
old  law  of  Moses  forbade  selling  his  father's  in- 
'i^eritance.  Do  not  call  me  a  king,  O  queen,  when  I 
am  thus  impotent  of  power." 

"  I  will  be  thy  king,"  she  laughed.  "  I  will  give 
thee  the  vineyard  thou  desirest.  It  is  not  the  first 
time,  O  husband,  thou  hast  found  thy  king  in  Jeze- 
bel. Arise,  and  wash  thy  face,  and  anoint  thy  head, 
for  the  vineyard  is  already  thine." 

So  King  Ahab,  who  had  been  spoilt  as  a  child  by 
the  women  of  his  father's  palace,  and  retained  in 
manhood  the  results  of  this  rearing,  suffered  himself 
to  be  thus  half  scolded,  half  coaxed,  and  did  arise 
and  eat  and  drink  and  bathe  and  was  merry,  and 
gave  his  seat  into  Jezebel's  hands,  and  trusted  the 
matter  to  her  guidance. 

As  time  went  on,  the  queen  had  given  herself 
more  and  more  to  the  witchcraft  which  had  so 
tempted  her  youth,  and  she  had  built  a  pavilion  in 
the  gardens  of  the  palace,  in  which  she  carried 
on  her  arts  with  more  secrecy  and  security  than  she 
could  have  done  in  the  palace  itself. 

Locks  and  bolts  and  closed  doors  were  not  among 
the  necessities  of  life  three  thousand  years  ago,  nor 
do  closed  doors  suit  hot  climates;  yet  it  would  not 


312    Hsalim:  H  IRomance  of  ®lt)  ^ubea 

have  suited  the  queen  that  her  pavilion  should  be 
open  to  all  comers.  There  was  no  visible  door  to  it ; 
air  and  coolness  were  secured  by  lattices  open  high 
in  the  walls,  and  it  was  approached  through  a  small 
maze  of  trees,  known  only  to  herself,  leading  down- 
ward to  an  entrance  below  the  building;  to  this 
place,  Jezebel  and  her  dog  came  at  night,  when 
the  king  was  feasting  with  his  courtiers. 
,  The  pavilion  was  curiously,  sparingly  furnished, 
—  a  table,  with  the  writing  materials  of  the  period, 
a  stool,  an  altar,  and  image  of  Baal  was  all.  The 
caldrons,  braziers,  and  fumigators  of  incantation 
which  filled  the  place  might  be  called  the  accessories 
of  her  trade  of  witchcraft. 

A  lamp  hung  from  the  ceiling ;  Jezebel  lowered  it 
by  a  chain,  and  lifted  the  light.  Then  she  sat  down 
at  the  table,  Moloch  crouching  by  her  side,  and  be- 
gan her  letters  to  the  authorities  of  Jezreel,  com- 
manding the  murder  of  Naboth.  She  finished  all 
but  the  seal  and  signature,  and  then  rose  wearily, 
and  spoke  to  Moloch. 

"  Let  us  come,  my  faithful  slave,  and  see  this 
wonderful  plot  of  ground,  the  denial  of  which,"  she 
added,  with  a  sneer,  "  has  brought  tears  into  the 
eyes  of  the  King  of  Israel  and  the  husband  of 
Jezebel." 

All  was  silent  in  the  palace  gardens,  as  the  queen 


XCbe  TKHarnind  313 

and  her  dog  guardian  emerged  from  the  maze,  and 
took  their  way  to  the  vineyard  of  Naboth.  The 
stars  shone  with  sufficient  brightness  to  enable  her 
to  see  every  object  distinctly.  She  reached  the 
vineyard,  to  find  it  surrounded  with  a  fence,  in 
which  there  appeared  to  be  no  opening.  She  ordered 
Moloch  to  find  one,  and  he  contrived  to  force  a 
hole,  which  enabled  his  mistress  to  enter  without 
much  difficulty. 

Jezebel  looked  around;  a  feeling  of  contempt 
toward  the  king  filled  her  mind  as  she  marked 
the  small  extent  and  careless  keeping  of  the  vine- 
yard. Being  in  the  midst  of  the  king^s  gardens, 
Naboth  had  neither  cared  nor  been  able  to  give 
it  the  attention  it  would  otherwise  have  received. 
In  truth,  it  was  not  the  value  of  the  vineyard,  but 
the  obedience  to  the  law  which  prompted  his  re- 
fusal to  the  king. 

Jezebel  laughed,  and  then  spoke  aloud.  "  So  it 
was  for  this  miserable  plot  that  my  royal  baby  has 
been  shedding  tears,  and  to  obtain  this  paltry  prize 
I  am  about  to  lie  and  seize  and  slay." 

She  paced  impatiently  up  the  path,  overgrown 
with  straggling  roots  and  arched  with  unpruned 
tendrils,  and  then  she  stopped,  and  again  spoke. 

"  Ye  gods,  what  more  important  affairs  occu- 
pied you  when  Ethbaal's  child  was  sent  into  ex- 


314    Hsalim:  H  IRomance  ot  ®l^  5u^ca 

istence?  Ah !  if  I  had  been  a  man,  the  world  should 
have  rung  with  my  name,  but  a  woman  can  only- 
rule,  like  a  familiar  spirit,  in  another  form  than 
her  own,  through  a  man,  and  that  man  must  be  a 
fool  to  be  her  vehicle.  Come,  Moloch,  let  us  be 
going.  We  must  get  the  price  ready  to  pay  for  the 
toy  of  thy  mistress'  master,  my  faithful  fellow." 

She  led  the  way  to  the  broken  opening  by  which 
she  had  entered,  and  when  she  reached  it,  started 
and  fell  back  upon  Moloch,  who  uttered  a  low  howl, 
half  fear,  half  defiance. 

Before  her,  in  the  open  gap,  stood  a  figure  of 
a  man,  whom  in  a  moment  she  recognized  as  the 
prophet  who  had  given  her  to  the  young  Israelitish 
captive  to  wife.  A  cold  chill  penetrated  like  a  dag- 
ger blade  to  her  heart.  Who  was  he?  Why  had 
he  come  to  her?  What  did  he  want ?  Yes,  she  knew 
him,  and  she  saw  that  he  knew  her,  although  long 
years  had  passed  since  that  memorable  day  when 
she  and  her  young  lover  stood  before  him,  and 
both  he  and  herself  were  now  well  on  in  middle  age. 
Her  confusion  was  increased  by  seeing  that  a  little 
behind  the  figure  that  confronted  her,  Azalim  stood 
calm  and  motionless. 

She  was  still  woman  enough  to  feel  a  flush  of 
shame  rise  to  her  forehead  at  the  reappearance  of 
a  husband  whom  she  had  solicited  to  be  her  para- 


Ube  Marnind  3x5 

mour,  but  the  fear  of  the  man  before  her  over- 
came any  inferior  emotion,  and  in  a  tone  which 
she  strove  to  be  one  of  haughty  defiance,  but  which 
quavered  with  apprehension,  she  inquired: 

"Who  art  thou?" 

He  did  not  answer  at  once,  but  gazed  steadily 
at  her;  she  returned  the  glance,  and  the  eyes  of 
these  two  met  again  as  they  had  done  before  by 
the  banks  of  the  Jordan,  —  in  deep  antagonism. 

"Who  art  thou?"  she  repeated. 

"  I  am  Elijah,  the  Tishbite,"  he  answered. 

"  Then,  —  by  the  gods,"  she  cried,  recovering 
courage  in  the  excess  of  fury  which  came  to  her 
with  the  announcement  of  his  name,  but  he  sternly 
interrupted  her. 

"  Silence,  woman,"  he  said,  "thy  rage  is  harm- 
less. I  no  longer  fly  from  thy  threats,  nor  am  I  now 
before  thee  as  an  avenger,  but  as  a  messenger  of 
offered  mercy  and  pardon  by  the  word  of  the  Lord 
God  of  Israel!" 

"  I  am  the  servant  of  Beelzebub,"  she  answered, 
scornfully.  "  I  want  neither  mercy  nor  pardon  at 
the  hand  of  thy  god." 

"  Nay,"  returned  the  prophet,  "  hear  me  deliver 
the  message  sent  to  thee.  Thou  art  about  to 
commit  a  sin  which  will  fill  up  the  measure  of  thy 
iniquities  and  shut  the  door  of  forgiveness  against 


3i6    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  ot  Ql^  5u^ea 

thee  for  ever.  Pause  ere  thou  shedd'st  the  innocent 
blood  for  which  thou  wert  preparing  in  yonder 
paviHon,  and  thou  mayst  yet  escape  the  ruin  that 
Hes  before  thee.  Thou  hast  sinned  grievously,  O 
daughter  of  Ethbaal,  yet,  as  it  has  been  greatly  in 
ignorance,  Jehovah  will  have  pity,  and  spare  thee 
if  thou  turn  from  the  evil  of  thy  ways." 

"  I  am  sold  to  Beelzebub,"  she  murmured,  almost 
humbly.  There  was  a  force,  a  command,  and  yet 
a  compassion  in  the  voice  and  look  of  the  prophet 
which  moved  even  her  hard  and  wicked  nature. 

"  Jehovah  is  greater  than  Beelzebub,  and  he  can 
deliver  thee  out  of  his  hand.  But,  O  woman!  I 
warn  thee  not  to  hesitate  or  delay.  Destroy  those 
accursed  papers.  Leave  the  man  whom  thou 
know'st  is  not  thy  lawful  husband.  Turn  from  thy 
gods  of  wood  and  stone,  and  yet  thou  mayst  escape 
the  death  for  evermore." 

He  did  not  wait  for  a  response,  but  turning  away, 
rejoined  Azalim,  and  was  soon  out  of  sight,  leav- 
ing Jezebel  looking  after  them  dismayed  and  irreso- 
lute. 

At  last,  she  left  the  vineyard,  and  followed  by 
Moloch,  returned  to  the  pavilion.  All  was  as  she 
had  left  it.  The  letters  she  had  written  lay  worth- 
less at  present  on  the  table ,  for  they  were 
unsigned,  unsealed.     She  seated  herself,  and  tak- 


Ube  Matnind  3^7 

ing  one  up,  looked  at  it  vacantly.  Her  mind 
was  full  of  hesitation  and  perplexity.  No  human 
being  is  so  callous  as  not  sometimes  to  soften,  none 
so  wicked  as  not  at  times  to  wish  to  be  better,  and 
Jezebel,  who  perhaps  was  as  bad,  or  even  worse 
than  any  woman  before  or  after  her,  had  been 
touched  and  moved  to  the  very  centre  of  her  being 
by  the  warning  of  Elijah.  Yes,  she  feared  it  might 
be  so.  Jehovah  was  more  powerful  than  Beelzebub, 
and  if  so  — 

Moved  by  an  uncontrollable  impulse,  she  gathered 
up  the  letters,  and  approaching  a  brazier  prepared 
for  burning,  she  lighted  it,  and  was  about  to  place 
the  papers  on  the  flame,  when  the  low  growl  and 
half  whine  from  Moloch,  which  denoted  the 
possession  of  a  familiar,  arrested  the  action,  and 
with  the  letters  still  in  her  hand,  she  resumed  her 
seat.  Moloch  took  up  his  position,  and  the  familiar 
spoke : 

"  Daughter  of  Ethbaal,  thou  hast  gone  too  far 
to  draw  back.  Thou  belongest  to  the  prince,  and 
even  if  he  would  let  thee  go,  consider  that  thou  must 
sacrifice  all  thou  hast  gained  hitherto,  if  thou  heedest 
the  deceitful,  lying  words  of  the  mad  prophet. 
*  Give  up  the  false  husband,'  he  cries ;  that  is  to  say 
give  up  being  a  queen  and  all  the  great  and  good 
things  that  attend  thy  royalty.    *  Give  up  thy  gods,' 


3i8    Hsalim :  H  "Romance  ot  ®l&  3\xbca 

he  commands.  Dost  thou  remember  the  scroll  in 
the  young  Levite's  chamber  ?  *  Thou  shalt  not '  to 
all  the  pleasures  of  life  thou  lovest,  for  that  is  what 
thy  new  god  will  require  thee.  Is  not  the  sover- 
eignty of  Beelzebub  better  than  that  ?  " 

Before  the  familiar  had  finished,  all  good  impulses 
had  fallen  away  from  Jezebel.  Give  up  her  rank, 
power,  wealth,  and  become  the  wife  of  the  servant 
of  the  prophet  who  had  perhaps  deceived  her  ?  Give 
up  her  gods,  who  permitted  all  unlicensed  pleasures, 
for  one  who  forbids  everything  for  the  sake  of  the 
rewards  of  a  future  existence,  which,  perchance, 
is  but  a  fable  after  all? 

"  No,  Moloch,"  she  cried,  rising  as  she  spoke. 
"  The  die  is  cast.  I  am  no  traitor,  I  choose  Beelze- 
bub." 

She  reseated  herself,  drew  pen  and  inkhom 
toward  her,  spread  the  letters  smoothly,  and  with 
dexterous  imitation  signed  Ahab's  name,  and  sealed 
them  with  his  seal. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 


RAMOTH  -  GILEAD 


The  battle  has  raged  all  day  at  Ramoth-Gilead, 
and  the  King  of  Israel,  wounded  at  its  commence- 
ment and  driven  out  of  the  host,  has  been  slowly 
dying  all  the  long  hours  since,  and  now,  supported 
in  his  chariot  by  his  servants,  seemed  as  though 
ready  to  expire  with  the  sunset.  A  great  rest- 
lessness had  come  over  him,  and  his  people  in- 
quired if  they  could  do  him  any  service  to  remove 
it. 

"  Ay,"  replied  Ahab.  "  Find  me  Gehanan  the 
eunuch.  He  came  yesternight  with  letters  from  the 
queen,  and  must  be  near  at  hand." 

He  was  not  far  off  and  was  soon  beside  the  dy- 
ing monarch. 

Ahab  had  never  liked  or  trusted  Gehanan,  and 
had  often  oppKJsed  the  queen's  attempts  to  place 
him  in  important  offices  of  state,  and  the  eunuch, 
who  was  quite  aware  of  this  distaste  in  the  royal 
mind,  cherished  a  secret  revenge  against  the  king 

319 


320    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  ot  ©l&  ?ubea 

which  had  long-  craved  satisfaction.  So  strong  was 
his  malice,  that  even  the  sight  of  the  sufferer  at 
his  side  did  not  soften  it.  He  saluted  with  his 
usual  servility  and  awaited  the  sovereign's  com- 
mand. 

"  Gehanan,"  the  king  spoke  in  low  and  broken 
tones,  yet  with  an  earnest  clearness  which  showed 
how  deeply  he  felt  what  he  was  saying.  "  The 
hand  of  death  is  on  me,  and  I  desire  thee  to  take 
my  last  message  to  the  queen,  thy  mistress.  Tell 
her  that  as  in  life  she  alone  was  my  wife,  as  on  the 
throne  she  only  was  my  queen,  so  in  death  she  is  the 
only  woman  who  holds  a  place  in  my  heart,  or  my 
memory.  She,  the  Princess  of  Tyre  and  Sidon, 
was  a  fit  mate  for  the  King  of  Israel  by  rank.  She, 
the  priceless  woman  in  beauty  and  in  brain,  was 
alone  fitted  to  be  his  equal  as  wife  —  " 

He  paused  to  regain  breath,  and  when  speech 
returned,  took  a  letter  stained  with  blood  from  his 
breast  and  pressed  it  to  his  lips,  — 

"  Tell  Jezebel,  the  queen,"  he  sighed,  "  that  the 
last  act  of  her  husband  and  her  king  was  to  kiss 
the  name  of  his  queen  and  his  wife." 

During  this  message,  which  was  uttered  with 
the  panting  passion  of  ebbing  life  and  intense  human 
feeling,  a  malignant  scowl  flamed  on  the  face  of 
Gehanan,  and  when  Ahab  stopped  and  sank  back 


1Ramotb*(3ilea&  321 

into  the  arms  of  his  attendants,  his  vengeful  spirit 
could  be  no  longer  restrained. 

"  Great  king,"  he  exclaimed,  the  venom  in  his 
eyes  expressed  in  his  voice,  "  to  whom  shall  I  take 
thy  message,  for  she  to  whom  thou  didst  bid  me  give 
it,  is  neither  thy  wife  nor  thy  queen." 

"  Thou  liest,  slave,"  cried  Ahab,  raising  him- 
self as  if  restored  to  life,  and  speaking  in  a  voice 
of  strong  emotion.  "  Thy  words  are  as  blasphemy 
to  the  gods,  and  as  I  still  live  a  king,  thou  shalt 
pay  for  them  with  thy  life." 

"  Stay,  but  hear  me  O'  king.  Wouldst  thou  have 
proof  of  the  truth  of  my  words  ere  I  die  ?  " 

The  king's  weakness  had  returned.  He  only 
waved  his  hands. 

"  Jezebel,  the  daughter  of  the  once  high  priest 
of  Baalbec,  was,  before  her  mock  marriage  with  thee, 
O  king,  the  wife  of  a  Syrian  slave,  who  was  for 
years  a  leper  of  the  desert,  and  is  now  the  servant 
of  the  great  prophet  Elijah.  She  has  never  been 
even  thy  concubine,  O  king.  Her  husband,  Azalim 
by  name,  refused  her  a  writing  of  divorcement, 
and  she  has  been  but  a  false  queen  and  a  false  wife." 

The  onljT^  strong  point  in  Ahab's  temperament 
was  his  pride.  He  could  not  believe  these  tidings 
of  the  deceit  put  upon  him  during  all  these  years, 
and  the  fact  that  his  wife  and  queen,  who  had 


322    H3alim :  H  IRomance  of  ®lt)  5u&ea 

reigned  so  supremely  over  his  heart,  his  kingdom, 
his  people,  and  his  religion,  who  had  been  the  mother 
of  his  heirs,  was  not  even  a  concubine ;  was  no  wife, 
no  queen  of  his,  but,  worse  than  that,  the  wife  of  an- 
other man,  and  he,  a  herdsman,  a  captive,  a  leper, 
and  a  servant.  Yea,  and  a  servant  to  his  most 
deadly  enemy,  the  prophet  Elijah!  It  was  false. 
It  could  not  be  true,  and  yet  — 

"  Bring  forward  thy  proof,  thou  son  of  Belial," 
he  said. 

"  He  is  near,"  replied  Gehanan.  "  He  came  this 
day  to  the  host  with  word  from  his  master  to  the 
King  of  Judah.    I  will  seek  him." 

"  Follow,  guard  him,"  ordered  the  king,  and  two 
of  his  servants  joined  the  eunuch. 

Azalim  was  waiting  by  the  tent  of  Jehoshaphat, 
King  of  Judah,  for  any  message  for  his  master. 

Gehanan  did  not  communicate  the  real  reason 
of  his  request,  but  only  said  that  King  Ahab,  who 
was  severely  wounded,  desired  to  see  him. 

When  they  came  to  the  chariot  of  the  dying  king, 
Gehanan  thus  addressed  him : 

"  Behold,  O  king,  the  husband  of  Jezebel,  the 
queen." 

"Is  this  true?"  whispered  Ahab. 

"Yea,"  replied  Azalim,  too  much  taken  by  surprise 
to  hesitate. 


lRamotb*Gilca&  3*3 

"  Speak  the  truth,  I  charge  thee  as  a  dying  man," 
said  Ahab,  a  deathly  pallor  spreading  over  his  face. 
"  Speak.  Art  thou  the  husband  of  the  —  Queen 
—  of  Israel,  and  when,  if  so,  didst  thou  wed  her?  '* 

Thus  adjured,  Azalim  did  speak  the  truth.  "  O 
king,"  he  replied,  "  I  was  a  captive  in  the  land  of 
Syria,  and  Jezebel,  the  daughter  of  Baal's  high 
priest,  condescended  to  favour  me,  thy  servant,  and 
we  fled  together  to  the  land  of  Israel;  there  my 
present  master,  Elijah  the  prophet,  gave  her  to 
me  to  wife." 

"  And  wast  thou  a  leper  as  this  slave  declares?  " 
"Yea,  my  lord  the  king,  I  was  stricken  with  leprosy 
before  thy  marriage  with  my  wife." 

"  The  wife  of  another  man,  and  he  a  leper," 
groaned  the  king,  "  and  she  ruled  myself,  my  state, 
ay,  and  caused  me  to  forsake  my  God;  and  this 
woman,  to  whom  I  gave  all,  yielded  all,  was  not 
even  a  concubine  at  my  side.  Can  it  be  so?  Is  it 
true?  Yea,  I  read  its  truth  in  thy  face.  I  know  it 
is  so  by  my  own  heart,  and  lo!  I  have  sold  myself 
for  naught.     I  have  sinned  in  vain." 

Ahab  tore  the  bandages  from  his  wound,  signed 
away  the  servants  who  would  have  replaced  them, 
and  fell  back  dead  in  his  chariot  just  as  the  setting 
sun  sank  below  the  horizon.  As  he  drew  his  last 
breath,  the  battle  of  Ramoth-Gilead  ceased,  and  the 


324    Baalim :  a  IRomance  of  ®lt)  3u^ea 

proclamation  went  throughout  the  host,  "  Every 
man  to  his  city  and  every  man  to  his  own  country !  " 

With  the  death  of  Ahab,  a  change  came  over 
the  prosperity  of  Jezebel,  not  openly,  but  surely. 
The  influence  of  a  domineering,  strong-willed  woman 
over  a  weak  husband  is  a  very  different  thing  from 
that  of  the  same  woman  over  her  son,  who,  however 
weak,  with  rare  exceptions  dominates  his  mother. 
For  example,  in  the  matter  of  religion  she  had  not 
succeeded,  with  all  her  bigotry,  in  making  her  chil- 
dren the  followers  of  Baal.  When  Ahaziah,  who 
succeeded  his  father,  was  sick,  he  sent  to  the  god 
of  flies,  and  not  to  the  god  of  the  sun  for  inquiry,  and 
Jehoram,  his  successor,  turned  to  the  service  of  the 
calf,  whilst  Athaliah,  Queen  of  Judah,  made  no 
attempt  to  introduce  Baal  into  that  kingdom. 

Was  it  possible,  Jezebel  asked  herself,  that  Beelze- 
bub no  longer  found  it  to  his  interest  to  keep  his 
word?  She  looked  in  her  metal  mirror  and  saw 
that  a  thicker  layer  of  paint  was  needful  to  fill 
those  deepening  cross-lines  upon  her  handsome 
face.  Her  form  was  losing  its  elastic  grace  and 
growing  heavy  in  shape  and  movement,  and,  more- 
over, strength  was  beginning  to  fail.  There  was 
no  doubt  nature  was  about  to  send  in  her  debt 
of  decay,  previous  to  the  last  heavy  one  of  death. 
The  future  was  not  bright  to  Jezebel,   and  her 


1Ramotb*6ilea&  325 

violence  of  temper  and  will  increased  with  her 
darkening  prospects,  and  this  change  did  not  add 
to  her  influence  with  her  family  or  the  nation.  She 
was  unaware  of  the  fact  that  Ahab  had  been  told 
of  her  marriage  with  Azalim,  for  Gehanan  rightly 
judged  it  more  for  his  own  interest  still  to  reserve 
the  queen's  secret,  which  had  so  long  been  as  a  mine 
of  wealth  to   him. 

Another  omen  affected  Jezebel :  Moloch,  like  her- 
self, was  showing  signs  of  age,  and  what  was  worse, 
his  familiar  namesake  did  not  now  always  obey 
the  invocations  and  commands  of  his  mistress.  The 
dog  was  at  times  savage  and  dangerous,  and  the 
familiar  careless  and  uncertain  in  its  consultations, 
and  the  queen  instinctively  felt  that  the  good  things 
which  had  so  long  been  hers  were  slipping  from 
her  grasp. 

The  real  power  and  popularity  of  the  religion 
of  Baal  was  waning,  although  on  the  surface  it 
still  flourished.  Jezebel  maintained  the  prophets, 
and  the  houses  of  Baal  were  well  attended.  Since 
the  slaughter  of  the  priests  on  Mount  Carmel,  the 
candidates  for  the  priesthood  of  Baal  were  fewer, 
and  the  persecution  of  the  prophets  of  Jehovah 
by  the  queen  more  covert.  Altogether  the  clouds 
were  gathering  fast  over  Jezebel's  sky. 

The  glorious  earthly  end  of  Elijah  had  come. 


326    asalim :  H  IRomance  of  ®15  5u&ea 

Azalim  had  joined  his  master  before  the  sacrifice 
on  Mount  Carmel,  and  witnessed  that  wonderful 
event.  He  had  reported  the  Httle  cloud  that  arose 
out  of  the  sea  after  the  hopeless  announcement 
"  There  is  nothing."  He  had  been  left  to  his  sor- 
row alone  at  Beersheba  when  the  prophet  had  that 
marvellous  interview  with  his  God  in  the  wilder- 
ness of  Sinai.  He  had  waited  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill  when  the  fire  fell  from  heaven  on  the  captains 
and  their  fifties,  and  had  stood  afar  off  at  the  rap- 
ture of  the  mighty  man  of  God  —  and  then  he  was 
alone  and  desolate. 

With  the  past  wrecks  of  his  life  floating  as  it 
were  around  him,  Azalim  had  but  little  heart  to 
freight  another  vessel  with  mortal  treasures.  Love, 
wealth,  health,  all  had  gone  down.  Zillah  he  had 
lost  for  ever;  Jezebel  had  betrayed  him  into  sin 
and  unutterable  sorrow;  prosperity  was  not  for 
him.  His  life  and  soul  had  been  content,  satisfied, 
and  fed,  when  with  Elijah,  but  Elijah  had  departed, 
and  he,  —  whither  should  he  go  ? 

His  gloom  did  not  last  long.  Among  the  sons  of 
the  prophets,  there  was  not  one  found  by  their  great 
head  Elisha  so  filled  with  the  spirit  of  the  living  God 
as  Azalim,  the  son  of  Shinar,  He  had  thrown  in 
his  lot  with  its  brotherhood,  and  found  peace.    * 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

AN    UNCOMMUTED    SENTENCE 

JoRAM,  the  King  of  Israel,  was  at  the  palace  of 
Jezreel,  slowly  recovering  from  the  wounds  he  had 
received  from  the  Syrians,  and  the  queen-mother 
was  expecting  a  visit  of  sympathy  from  her  grand- 
son, Ahaziah,  King  of  Judah,  who,  with  other  mem- 
bers of  the  royal  family  of  David,  was  on  his  way 
to  Israel. 

Jezebel  was  awaiting  the  arrival  of  her  guests 
in  the  throne-room,  where,  for  so  many  years,  she 
had  queened  it  with  Ahab.  According  to  her  wont, 
she  was  magnificently  dressed;  gems  sparkled  on 
her  arms,  in  her  ears,  and  in  the  diadem  which 
crowned  her  carefully  arranged  hair,  which,  to  all 
appearance,  was  as  abundant  as  in  youth.  She  was 
old  now;  long  life  had  been  hers,  as  well  as  every 
other  good  thing,  and  the  thick  layers  of  paint  and 
tinted  powder,  which,  without  any  attempt  at  dis- 
guise, covered  her  face,  could  not  altogether  conceal 

327 


328    Hsallm :  a  IRomance  of  ®l&  5u&ea 

it,  although  she  still  preserved  her  fine  features,  and 
a  commanding  presence.  Moloch  was  by  her  side, 
—  old,  like  his  mistress,  —  but  the  herbs  and  treat- 
ment of  the  witches  had  kept  him  in  remarkable 
health  and  strength.  Gehanan,  also,  with  gray  hair, 
bowed  to  the  ground  before  her,  with  professions 
of  the  greatest  fidelity.  He  had  grown  rich  with 
her  gifts  and  appointments,  and,  if  any  living  man 
owed  gratitude  to  Jezebel,  it  surely  was  the  pros- 
perous eunuch. 

The  state  of  the  king^s  health  prevented  ostenta- 
tious hospitality,  but,  in  a  quiet  way,  there  was 
much  feasting  and  amusement,  and  all  was  peace 
and  security.  Then,  as  is  commonly  the  case,  the 
shock  came.  The  watchman  on  the  tower  gave  the 
signal  that  an  hostile  force  in  great  numbers  was 
approaching,  and  soon  the  conspirator,  Jehu,  was 
upon  the  guilty  house  of  Ahab. 

A  panic  fell  upon  the  inmates  of  the  palace.  They 
fled,  or  hid  themselves.  A  trembling  woman  or  two 
brought  wild  versions  of  the  news  to  the  queen- 
mother.  She  sent  them  to  fetch  Gehanan  to  her 
presence,  but  he  was  not  to  be  found. 

She  was  alone.  All  had  deserted  her.  She  looked 
around  for  Moloch.  He,  at  least,  would  be  faithful, 
and  would  protect  her,  and  attack  her  enemies ;  but 
he,  too,  had  disappeared. 


Un  XHncommute^  Sentence         329 

The  angry  and  alarmed  woman  stamped  her  foot, 
and,  clenching  her  hand,  walked  through  the  long 
suites  of  apartments,  seeking  her  son  and  grand- 
son, or  at  least,  tidings  of  them. 

At  last  she  encountered  a  woman  slave,  who  was 
lushing  in  though  the  gardens,  and  learnt  that  the 
two  kings  were  slain,  and  that  the  head  captain  in 
Ramoth-Gilead,  Jehu,  the  son  of  Nimshi,  was  com- 
ing to  seize  the  palace  and  the  kingdom. 

The  indomitable  woman  rushed  to  the  nearest 
window,  and  saw,  entering  the  gate  below,  the 
resolute  captain  of  the  host,  furiously  driving  his 
chariot  toward  the  entrance  doors. 

She  stretched  her  head  out  from  the  lattice  as  he 
passed  under,  and  uttered  her  scornful  half-taunt, 
half-curse.  He  looked  up,  with  an  answering 
challenge.  "Who  is  on  thy  side?  Who?"  She 
turned  to  retreat,  and  lo!  Gehanan  stood  by  her 
side,  and  in  the  deadly  hate  and  malice  of  his  face 
she  read  her  doom,  and  her  fearless  courage  left  her 
at  last. 

"  Gehanan,"  she  implored,  in  a  shriek  of  suppli- 
cation, "  I  have  ever  been  thy  good  friend,  oh,  save 
me ! "  For  answer,  he  made  a  signal  to  two  of  his 
eunuchs,  who  had  followed  him.  They  seized  the 
wretched  woman,  and  flung  her,  with  brutal  vicH 
lence,   from  the  window,   against  the  walls   and 


330    Hsallm :  H  IRomancc  ot  ®ID  5ut)ea 

pinrlacles  below,  and  the  feet  of  the  horses,  and  the 
wheels  of  the  chariot,  trod  and  rolled  over  her,  and 
as  yet  she  died  not. 

Jehu  and  his  train  and  soldiers  entered  the  ivory 
palace.  Their  ride  had  been  long,  and  they  were 
hungry.  There  was  no  delay  in  preparation,  for  the 
two  kings  had  been  feasting  when  surprised  by  Jehu, 
and  their  table  was,  consequently,  left  plentifully 
supplied.  The  spot  where  Jezebel  lay  was  deserted, 
and  there  was  no  one  to  hear  her  groans  or  witness 
her  sufferings,  or  attend  to  her  cries  for  help.  Was 
it  the  sight  or  smell  of  blood  that  attracted  that 
gaunt,  wolfish  dog,  who  was  crouching  in  an  angle 
of  the  building,  and  furtively  regarding  her?  And 
there  was  a  sound  of  distant  snarling  from  a  pack 
of  the  dog  scavengers  of  the  city,  who  were  ap- 
proaching the  spot.  At  this  sound,  the  woman 
writhed  in  agony. 

And  now  a  strange  coincidence  occurred.  Aza- 
lim,  in  his  office  as  one  of  the  disciples  of  the 
prophets,  had  been  sent  on  a  mission  to  Jezreel,  and, 
impelled  by  some  impulse  stronger  than  mere  curi- 
osity, had  followed  the  triumphal  entrance  of  Jehu 
into  the  city.  When  the  palace  door  closed  behind 
the  conquerors,  Azalim  was  about  to  return  to  his 
friends,  when  cries  for  help  and  succour,  in  a 
woman's  voice,  arrested  his  steps,  and  caused  him  to 


an  Xttncommutet)  Sentence  33^ 

follow  the  direction  from  which  they  proceeded. 
He  saw  a  wounded  woman,  lying  in  her  blood,  and 
uttering  shrieks  of  piercing  terror. 

It  needed  not  the  regal  robes,  the  jewelled  crown 
and  ornaments,  the  stately  form,  to  tell  Azalim  that 
she  who  lay  there,  was  Jezebel,  his  wife,  and  the 
titular  Queen  of  Israel.  The  indifference,  anger, 
aversion,  hatred,  which  had  successively  filled  his 
mind,  and  steeled  his  heart  against  her,  fled  away 
at  the  sight.  It  seemed  to  him  as  if  the  days  of  his 
youth  came  back,  and  he  and  his  young,  loved,  and 
beautiful  stolen  bride  were  flying  from  pursuit,  to 
love  and  happiness.  He  was  kneeling  at  her  side 
in  a  moment.  "  Jezebel,"  he  cried,  gently,  "  let  me 
help  thee.  I  am  Azalim,  thy  husband.  I  grieve  to 
see  thee  in  this  strait." 

She  turned  her  wild,  haggard  eyes  upon  him. 

"  Azalim,"  she  whispered.  "  Ah !  I  know  thee 
now.  Never  man  loved  me  as  thou  didst,  and  I 
threw  thee  away  for  what  is  now  going  from  me. 
Help  me.  See !  See !  "  and  she  pointed  to  the  dog, 
who  had  been  skulking  near,  and  was  now  stealthily 
approaching  them,  snifiing  the  air  with  an  evil  look 
in  his  bloodshot  eyes,  and  his  teeth  showing 
through  his  slavering  jaws.  "  See !  See !  it  is 
Moloch !  Listen !  Listen !  I  hear  the  pack  of  wild 
dogs  who  are  nearing  us.     Moloch,  my  faithful 


332    Hsalim :  H  IRomance  ot  ®lt)  5ut)ca 

Moloch,  defend  me  from  thy  kind.  AzaHm,  my 
young  husband,  protect  me,  as  thou  didst  from  the 
Syrian  band  on  the  Jordan  banks.  O  Baal !  O  all 
ye  Syrian  gods,  help !  help !    He  is  at  my  throat !  " 

It  was  true,  the  wolfish  beast  had  leapt  upon 
Jezebel,  and  torn  a  piece  from  her  embroidered  vest. 
In  a  moment,  Azalim  had  flung  himself  upon  the 
brute,  and  wrenched  him  from  the  queen's  pros- 
trate form.  Then  a  fierce  struggle  took  place  be- 
tween the  man  and  the  dog,  in  which,  for  some 
minutes,  the  strife  was  equal;  whilst  it  was  going 
on,  the  city  pack  came  near  and  surrounded  the 
group,  uttering  low  howls,  but  not  yet  attacking 
their  prey. 

"  Leave  Moloch,  Azalim,  my  once  love,  my  hus- 
band ! "  cried  Jezebel.  "  He,  surely,  will  never 
attack  me.  And  drive  away  the  horrible  pack.  Come 
near  to  me.  Come  near,  and  let  me  rest  my  head 
upon  thy  shoulder,  and  they  dare  not  touch  me." 

He  obeyed.  Jezebel's  iron  will  and  nerves  of 
steel  had  kept  her  bodily  sufferings  in  comparative 
abeyance,  and  she  half  raised  herself  into  a  sitting 
posture,  but  Azalim  quietly  laid  her  helpless  body 
back. 

"  Tell  me,"  she  whispered,  now  in  broken  words, 
"  did  Ahab  ever  know  that  I  was  thy  wife?  Fear 
not  to  tell  me  the  truth." 


Hn  ^ncommutet)  Sentence  333 

"  Yea,"  whispered  Azalim,  in  the  same  low  tone, 
"  he  knew  it  as  he  died." 

A  change  came  over  her  features.  A  sob  of 
anguish  broke  from  her  Hps.  She  raised  her  head, 
and  waved  her  hand. 

"  Jehovah,  thou  hast  conquered,"  she  cried. 

Scarcely  were  the  words  out  of  her  lips,  ere,  with 
a  rush,  Moloch  sprung  at  her  throat.  The  pack  were 
on  her  body,  and  Jezebel's  earthly  voice  and  form 
were  still  for  ever. 

Azalim  fled,  in  unutterable  horror,  remembering 
the  word  of  the  Lord,  by  the  voice  of  Elijah,  "  The 
dogs  shall  eat  Jezebel  in  the  portion  of  Jezreel." 

When  the  searchers  came  to  look  for  Jezebel,  they 
saw  the  body  of  the  great  dog  Moloch,  lying  dead 
on  the  spot  where  Jezebel  had  fallen. 

A  long  procession  of  mourners,  greater  in  num- 
ber, and  with  deeper  sorrow  than  often  follows  a 
woman  to  her  grave,  wound  from  a  white  house, 
surrounded  by  gardens  and  vineyards,  toward  a 
sepulchre  among  the  hills.  She  who  lay  white  and 
swathed  upon  the  open  bier  was  a  spiritual  mother 
in  Israel,  and  the  love  and  tears  that  attended  her 
last  earthly  journey  did  not  soon  pass  away,  nor  did 
her  memory  fade  with  her  generation.    It  was  the 


334    asalim :  B  IRomance  of  ©ID  5u&ea 

funeral  of  Zillah,  the  handmaid  of  the  lepers,  the 
princess  daughter  of  the  King  of  kings. 

She  had  Hved  to  a  good  old  age,  a  life  of  holiness 
and  work  for  her  fellow  creatures. 

An  old  man  was  the  chief  mourner.  A  grand 
old  man,  who,  for  long  years,  has  lived  in  high 
repute  among  the  sons  of  the  prophets,  and  had  the 
high  honour  of  being  the  servant  of  that  mighty 
man  of  God,  Elijah.  The  young  people,  who 
joined  the  procession,  said,  under  their  breath,  that 
this  old  man,  Azalim,  the  son  of  Shinar,  had  been 
the  betrothed  husband  of  the  leper  handmaid,  but 
had  left  her  for  an  outlandish  woman,  who  had 
brought  him  to  bitter  and  lifelong  grief,  and  had 
caused  Zillah  to  bewail  her  virginity  on  the  moun- 
tains, and  vow  it  in  service  to  Israel  and  its  God. 

Again  the  years  went  by,  and  one  evening,  not 
long  before  sunset,  a  very  old  man,  with  long,  white 
hair  and  snowy  beard  sweeping  to  his  waist,  knelt 
before  a  white  sepulchre,  on  which  was  inscribed 
the  name  of  Zillah. 

Suddenly  he  looked  up.  There  was  a  great  light 
on  the  sky  above  him,  —  not  a  reflection  of  the 
setting  sun,  —  but  as  though  the  opening  of  a  cloud 
let  out  some  wondrous  glory  behind. 

The  old  man,  Azalim,  had  seen  that  light  before, 


an  'Clncommute6  Sentence  335 

when  he  and  she  who  slept  within  that  sepulchre, 
saw  a  bright  form  ascend  from  the  side  of  his  be- 
loved child. 

Azalim  fell  upon  his  face.  Then,  rising,  he 
looked  again,  and  the  light  was  gone.  "  I  am 
ready,"  he  said,  softly.  "  Elijah,  great  master, 
Salome,  Zillah,  Astarte,  I  come  to  your  God  and 
mine."  He  seated  himself  upon  a  stone,  close  to 
the  sepulchre,  and  leant  his  head  against  the  tomb, 
folded  his  hands  upon  his  staff,  and  closed  his  eyes. 

There  was  a  gasp,  a  sigh,  a  slight  shiver  of  the 
frame,  and  then  perfect  stillness.  Again  the  light 
opened  in  the  sky  above  him,  and  Azalim,  the  herds- 
man of  Gilead,  the  Syrian  captive,  the  doorkeeper 
in  the  idol's  house,  the  faithless  lover,  the  real  hus- 
band of  the  evil  queen,  the  renegade  to  his  country, 
the  apostate  to  his  religion,  the  leper,  the  rescuer  of 
the  prophets,  the  servant  of  Elijah,  the  son  of  the 
prophets,  —  Azalim,  the  repentant  and  forgiven 
sinner,  was  carried  by  the  angels  into  Abraham's 
bosom. 

THE    END. 


announcement  i,ist 

of  l^eli'  JFittwn 

Haunters  of  the  Silences,    by  Charles  g. 

D.  Roberts,  author  of  "  Red  Fox,"  "  The  Watchers  of 
the  Trails,"  etc. 

Cloth,  one  volume,  with  many  drawings  by  Charles  Liv- 
ingston Bull,  four  of  which  are  in  full  color      .    |2.oo 

The  stories  in  Mr.  Roberts's  new  collection  are  the  strong- 
est and  best  he  has  ever  written. 

He  has  largely  taken  for  his  subjects  those  animals  rarely 
met  with  in  books,  whose  lives  are  spent "  In  the  Silences," 
where  they  are  the  supreme  rulers.  Mr.  Roberts  has  writ- 
ten of  them  sympathetically,  as  always,  but  with  fine  regard 
for  the  scientific  truth. 

"  As  a  writer  about  animals,  Mr.  Roberts  occupies  an  enviable 
place.  He  is  the  most  literary,  as  well  as  the  most  imaginative 
and  vivid  of  all  the  nature  writers."  —  Brooklyn  Eagle. 

"  His  animal  stories  are  marvels  of  sympathetic  science  anr 
literary  exactness." — New  York  World. 

\ 


Z.   C.  PAGE  AND  COMPANY'S 


The    Lady  of   the    Blue    Motor.      By 

G.  Sidney  Paternoster,  author  of  "  The  Cruise  of 
the  Motor-Boat  Conqueror,"  "  The  Motor  Pirate,"  etc. 

Cloth  decorative,  with  a  colored  frontispiece  by  John  C. 
Frohn $i'5o 

The  Lady  of  the  Blue  Motor  is  an  audacious  heroine 
■*ifho  drove  her  mysterious  car  at  breakneck  speed.  Her 
plea  for  assistance  in  an  adventure  promising  more  than  a 
spice  of  danger  could  not  of  course  be  disregarded  by  any 
gallant  fellow  motorist.  Mr.  Paternoster's  hero  rose 
promptly  to  the  occasion.  Across  France  they  tore  and 
across  the  English  Channel.  There,  the  escapade  past,  he 
lost  her. 

Mr.  Paternoster,  however,  is  generous,  and  allows  the 
reader  to  follow  their  separate  adventures  until  the  Lady  of 
the  Blue  Motor  is  found  again  and  properly  vindicated  of 
all  save  womanly  courage  and  affection.  A  unique  ro- 
mance, one  continuous  exciting  series  of  adventure. 


Clementina's  Highwayman.    By  Robert 

Neilson  Stephens,  author  of  "  The  Flight  of  Geor- 
giana,"  "  An  Enemy  to  the  King,"  etc. 

Cloth  decorative,  illustrated         .        .        .        .$1.50 

Mr.  Stephens  has  put  into  his  new  book,  «'  Clementina's 
Highwayman,"  the  finest  qualities  of  plot,  construction,  and 
literary  finish. 

The  story  is  laid  in  the  mid-Georgian  period.  It  is  a 
dashing,  sparkling,  vivacious  comedy,  with  a  heroine  as 
lovely  and  changeable  as  an  April  day,  and  a  hero  all  ardor 
and  daring. 

The  exquisite  quality  of  Mr.  Stephens's  literary  style 
clothes  the  story  in  a  rich  but  delicate  word-fabric ;  and 
never  before  have  his  setting  and  atmosphere  been  so 
perfect. 


LIST  OF  NEW  FICTION 


The  Sorceress  of  Rome.    By  nathan  gal- 

LiziER,  author  of  "  Castel  del  Monte,"  etc. 

Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .         .         .         .     $1.50 

The  love-story  of  Otto  III.,  the  boy  emperor,  and  Ste- 
phania,  wife  of  the  Senator  Crescentius  of  Rome,  has 
already  been  made  the  basis  of  various  German  poems  and 
plays. 

Mr.  Gallizier  has  used  it  for  the  main  theme  of  "The 
Sorceress  of  Rome,"  the  second  book  of  his  trilogy  of 
romances  on  the  mediaeval  life  of  Italy.  In  detail  and 
finish  the  book  is  a  brilliant  piece  of  work,  describing 
clearly  an  exciting  and  strenuous  period.  It  possesses  the 
same  qualities  as  "  Castel  del  Monte,"  of  which  the  Chicago 
Record  Herald  said  :  "  There  is  color,  there  is  sumptuous 
word-painting  in  these  pages ;  the  action  is  terrific  at  times ; 
vividness  and  life  are  in  every  part;  brilliant  descriptions 
entertain  the  reader ;  mystic  scenes  and  prophecies  give  a 
singular  fascination  to  Uie  tale,  which  is  strong  and  force- 
ful in  its  portrayal." 


Hester  of  the  Hills.    By  gilder  clay. 

Cloth  decorative,  illustrated         .        .        .        .     $1.50 

««  Hester  of  the  Hills  "  has  a  motif  unusual  in  life,  and 
new  in  fiction.  Its  hero,  who  has  only  acquired  his  own 
strength  and  resourcefulness  by  a  lifelong  struggle  against 
constitutional  frailty,  has  come  to  make  the  question  of 
bodily  soundness  his  dominant  thought.  He  resolves  to 
ensure  strong  constitutions  to  his  children  by  marrying  a 
physically  perfect  woman.  After  long  search,  he  finds  this 
ideal  in  Hester,  the  daughter  of  a  "  cracker  squatter,"  of 
the  Ozark  Mountains  of  Missouri.  But,  —  he  forgot  to 
take  into  consideration  that  very  vital  emotion,  love,  which 
played  havoc  with  his  well-laid  plans. 

It  is  an  ingenious  combination  of  practical  realism  and 
imaginative  fiction  worked  out  to  a  thoroughly  delightful 
and  satisfying  climax. 


Z.    C.   PAGE  AND   COMPANY'S 


Prisoners  of  Fortune,  a  tale  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts Bay  Colony.  By  Ruel  Perley  Smith, 
author  of  "  The  Rival  Campers,"  etc. 

Cloth  decorative,  with  a  colored  frontispiece  by  Frank  T. 
Merrill     ........     $1.50 

The  period  of  Mr.  Smith's  story  is  the  beginning  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  when  the  shores  of  the  American  col- 
onies were  harassed  and  the  seas  patrolled  by  pirates  and 
buccaneers.  These  robbed  and  spoiled,  and  often  seized 
and  put  to  death,  the  sailors  and  fishers  and  other  humbler 
folk,  while  their  leaders  claimed  friendship  alike  with  South- 
ern planters  and  New  England  merchants,  —  with  whom 
it  is  said  they  frequently  divided  their  spoils. 

The  times  were  stern  and  the  colonists  were  hardy,  but 
they  loved  as  truly  and  tenderly  as  in  more  peaceful  days. 
Thus,  while  the  hero's  adventures  with  pirates  and  his  search 
for  their  hidden  treasure  is  a  record  of  desperate  encounters 
and  daring  deeds,  his  love-story  and  his  winning  of  sweet 
Mary  Vane  is  in  delightful  contrast. 


The  Rome  Express.    By  major  Arthur  Grif- 
fiths, author  of  *'  The  Passenger  from  Calais,"  etc. 

Cloth  decorative,  with  a  colored  frontispiece  by  A.  O. 
Scott $1.25 

A  mysterious  murder  on  a  flying  express  train,  a  wily 
Italian,  a  charming  woman  caught  in  the  meshes  of  circum- 
stantial evidence,  a  chivalrous  Englishman,  and  a  police 
force  with  a  keen  nose  for  the  wrong  clue,  are  the  ingredi- 
ents from  which  Major  Griffiths  has  concocted  a  clever,  up- 
to-date  detective  story.  The  book  is  bright  and  spirited, 
with  rapid  action,  and  consistent  development  which  brings 
the  story  to  a  logical  and  dramatic  ending. 


IJC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


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